Alone
by Wishing-for-a-Zoro-plushie
Summary: AU ZoLu SaNa UsoKay Monkey D Luffy is always alone, and he has a life that no one would want... at least, until a mysterious man shows up and tells him he wants him in his organisation... then it's the greatest life you could possibly hope for!
1. I have no friends

**Hey, started another fic! My god. I really need to stop doing this to myself. Okay, well, this one is about... well, just read. I have had this idea for a while, so, yeah. I am glad I wrote it and I am very proud of the first chapter. I plan to make the next chapter even cooler. Mwahaha! **

**Dedication: Okay, Scabbers, this is for you. This story will be dedicated to you, mainly because... I can't write the one you requested. I am really really really really sorry, but, I can't make it flow and my brain is being a -beep- and not co-operating. **

**But, if I ever write a story that has your idea in it, then I promise, I will post it especially for you, ok? I hope this story is apology enough. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of it's characters. I only own my random characters in here... and monkeys. Lots and lots of monkeys... XD**

**Pairings: There will be the main, and usual pairing, of ZoroxLuffy, and two side pairings of SanjixNami and UsoppxKaya. Why, you ask? Well, I decided that just having a main pairing wasn't enough so, I added a few little bits here and there and they turned into pairings -gasp- hope they turned out all right. **

**Enjoy!**

**-----------------------**

_**Alone**_

_**Chapter 1: I have no friends...**_

Time slipped slowly by as the clock on the wall of a plain yellow classroom, slowly ticked it's way towards three o clock.

"The more you watch it, the longer it's going to take." a voice said beside a black haired boy. The boy turned and saw the teacher standing beside him, her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently.

She held out a hand and pointed at the blank, boring piece of lined paper sitting on the scratched and well worn wooden desk.

The boy pouted and then bent his head over the desk and picked up his pen, writing a few words before the teacher walked away and he commenced staring back at the clock.

Monkey D Luffy wasn't a patient boy, in fact, he was anything but. Some people wondered if he had ADHD but, he didn't. It was just his personality. He was naturally hyper and he loved to play games and have a good time.

Luffy had better things to do with his time rather than sit at a desk and learn some boring old English. Glancing around again at the clock, Luffy frowned and went back to his paper. He was supposed to be writing a paper about his best friend.

Well, he didn't exactly have one of those. In fact, Luffy had no friends. He had seen others hanging around, laughing and playing around with each other, but, every time he had tried to join in, they had looked at him like he was an alien, and then moved swiftly away.

Luffy was always left alone. The teacher, sitting behind her desk, cleared her throat and gave Luffy a pointed look. Luffy's mouth twisted and he looked down at the paper again. Five words glared back at him, written in bright blue ink.

_I don't have any friends. _And Luffy sighed. Then the school seemed to go quiet, seemingly in tense anticipation before a loud 'brriiiinnnggg' filled the empty halls.

Luffy jumped up from his seat and grinned before grabbing the paper, grabbing his pen, running past the desk and slapping the almost blank piece of paper down on the table before zooming out the door.

He fought his way through tons of chatting and yelling kids and ran out down the stairs and into the breezeway that ran underneath the school. Running over to the wall outside the school office, he grabbed his bag from his locker, slammed it shut, locked it and then ran out the main gate. The lockers were located beside the office door, out in the open.

This was a little… troublesome on rainy days. He was supposed to take the bus home, but, who needed the bus when you could walk, or better yet, run down town and get something to eat! So, Luffy did just that, or, he would have had he had any money.

Luffy was poor. Very poor in fact and he lived by himself in a run down house in the distasteful side of town. To get a job, Luffy had to fill out a form, but, every interview he had ever been given, was a bust.

The owners of the businesses, or the managers or whoever it was that interviewed him at the time, never called him back like they said they would, but, that never dampened Luffy's spirits. He was always hopeful that one day, he would get the job he had always wanted.

What that job was, he wasn't sure at this point in time, but, as long as it payed well, or he had fun, he didn't really care. The house had been abandoned a long time ago, and no one owned it, so, Luffy had taken up residence.

His brother, Ace, had set him up pretty well to start of with, and every now and again Ace would come back and pay for another year of Luffy's schooling. But, his brother never stayed any longer than a few weeks, as he was always travelling to a new place.

He was walking along the sidewalk, humming a song when a man ran around the corner in front of him. Luffy's eyes widened and then the man slammed straight into him, sending both of them tumbling. Luffy hit his head on the pavement, and was only vaguely aware of a pair of dark green eyes looking down at him and then a mumbled,

"Sorry." before the weight on his chest was gone. Luffy lay still a few seconds and then turned onto his stomach and watched the back of the man as he continued to run.

"Meanie." he muttered before getting up again and then sighing. Looking down at his uniform, he groaned at the sight of the dirt stains. "I have to wash it… again!" and he made a vague attempt at brushing himself off before continuing.

He looked up at all the shops and stores, his eyes growing bigger with each one he passed. Finally, he paused beside a rather nice looking restaurant. He could see inside quite easily through the glass window which was decorated along the bottom with painted waves.

Luffy pressed his nose as hard as he could against the glass. He could see a tall man in there, serving a young couple with the utmost grace. Luffy sighed. He would never be able to go into a place like that.

Luffy was about to walk off when the man inside looked up and his visible eye narrowed. Luffy backed away a step. He was well known throughout the town as a scabber and a stealer. He gave a nervous wave before running in the opposite direction, across the road and down another street.

"Close." he muttered before continuing.

"I _am_ working on it!" a voice cried and then a door snapped open beside Luffy and a boy walked out, his face scrunched up in rage and his long nose twitching ever so slightly. Luffy blinked at him and the boy blinked back.

"What are you looking at?" the curly haired boy asked. Luffy shrugged and then rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh…I don't know." he replied and he gave a nervous laugh. The curly haired boy's mouth twitched in a smile before he gave a short nod.

"Good one." and then he walked off. Luffy's brows furrowed.

"…good one what?" he asked. He received no answer and could not think what would have been the 'good one' so, he just shrugged and once again continued, unaware of the curly haired boy watching him from around a corner.

Luffy was meeting some strange people down the street today. Casually, he kicked an empty can in front of him as he began to walk down the well known route towards home.

He hadn't gotten any food and that had bummed him out a fair bit, but, there was always something in the cupboard at home, so he would eat then. Luffy looked up at the alley he was walking down and his eyes drooped. Nothing in here except his echo, and even that was a dull thing. Luffy sighed and continued.

"Hey kid." a voice asked. Luffy's head snapped up and he looked around but he couldn't see anything. "Over here." and Luffy looked behind him to see a tall man standing there, his face hidden in shadow. Luffy blinked and took a step backwards.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked. The man chuckled.

"Give me your money."

"I don't have any."

"Don't lie kid. I'm not in a good mood today."

"I'm not lying. I don't have any money."

"Fine kid, we'll do it your way." and the man launched forwards, swinging his leg straight out at Luffy's head. The boy backflipped out of the way and blinked at the man before his eyes narrowed.

"C'mon guy, I don't have any money! I'm telling you the truth!" Luffy cried, but the man didn't listen as he took another swipe at Luffy and the well shined black shoes shone in the light before it connected with Luffy's chest, sending the small high schooler back down the alley. Luffy coughed as he stood and put a hand to his chest.

"Back off." Luffy warned. The man came running at him and Luffy braced himself, pulling a fist back and getting ready to fight. As soon as the man reached him, Luffy slammed his fist right into his face, sending him back down the alleyway again. Luffy took a deep breath and stood up straight again as the man lay still on the cold ground.

"I warned you." and then he turned and hurried towards home.

----

On the roof of a building that looked down into the alleyway, an orange haired woman sat, her head resting on her hand and a sly smile on her face.

"So, you reckon he'd be a good asset?" a curly haired boy asked beside her. The woman shrugged.

"He seems a little stupid, but, he's a good fighter. So, yeah Usopp, I think he'd be great." and she stood, her knee length light blue jacket fluttering behind her as she smiled. Her eyes followed the boy as he walked away and then she leapt easily down into the alleyway.

"So, Sanji, you couldn't handle a little kid." and she chuckled lightly. The man laying in front of her groaned and sat up.

"No. But, that just proves your theory, Nami. He is worthy of the organisation." Sanji replied and smiled up at her. He rubbed a hand over his cheek and winced. Usopp leapt down beside them and put a hand on his hip.

"He hit you pretty hard, huh?" Usopp asked as he idly spun a gun around on his finger.

"Come here Usopp." Sanji said and the boy blinked before walking over. The blonde haired man swung a leg out and slammed it into Usopp's side, sending him into the wall. Sanji chuckled.

"He hits about that hard. A bit harder maybe. So, does he pass the test or do I have to try and rough him up again?" Sanji asked, closing his eyes and idly brushing off a patch of dust on his sleeve. Nami chuckled lightly again and kneeled in front of the well dressed man.

"No, he passes. Now we just have to get him to join." and she patted Sanji gently on the top of his head before standing and walking away. Usopp stood, a hand over his side as he followed. Sanji sighed and got up as well. Nami knew how to play him just like a violin.

----

Luffy pushed the key into the lock of his house. Well, it could hardly be called a house, more like four plain walls and a floor. Moving into the room, Luffy looked around and put his hands on his hips.

"Home again." he said before dropping his bag on the floor and taking his shoes off. That fight with the guy in the alley had been unexpected and a little unnerving. He had never come across someone in that alleyway before. Luffy gave his chest a poke and then winced before pulling off his school shirt and inspecting the growing bruise.

"Stupid guy. I told him I didn't have any money." he muttered as he walked over to the cupboard in the corner where all his first aid, food and clothes were. Not that he had many clothes.

Grabbing out a light blue shirt, he slipped it on and placed his school shirt in a basin beside it. He turned on the only tap in the house and half filled the basin. As he washed his shirt, he thought once again about the man in the alleyway.

"Wonder why he picked me." Luffy muttered before pulling the shirt up and looking at it. The dirt had been totally washed off, but, Luffy was still annoyed that that guy had knocked him down.

At least he had apologised but, he could have helped him up or something. Stupid guy. Luffy opened his side window and pegged the shirt to the clothesline. Luffy smiled and tilted his head.

"Now for some food." he announced and turned around to look in the cupboard. He had a can of meat and… that was it.

"Ahh! No more food?" he cried as he grabbed the can from the shelf and shook it. Luffy sighed and let his head fall forward to rest against the edge of the shelf. He turned so he could look out the window and stared at the lightly waving shirt.

The grey building on the other side of the window was his only view.

"I can't eat just this tonight." and he frowned, "Shouldn't complain. I've got a house and a bed. I can last on this much food." and he peeled the lid back on the can, picked up a clean fork and began eating.

He sauntered over to the single chair leaning against a wall and sat down, the wood creaking. Luffy sighed.

"Now my chair's gonna break. Meh, I'll sit on the floor." and he got off the chair to sit down on the hard wooden surface. It didn't take the boy long to eat the rest of the food and afterwards, he still felt very hungry. His stomach gave a loud rumble and Luffy pressed a hand over it.

"No use complaining stomach, I haven't got any more." he said before standing and brushing the backs of his school pants off. He looked around the room again and frowned before noticing the cold wind that was blowing through his open window.

Luffy tilted his head and walked over to the window and gazed out. He turned so he was leaning backwards out the window and he was looking up at the sky, the shirt flapping near his head. Night was beginning to descend on the little town and stars were twinkling in the sky. Luffy smiled and tilted his head slightly to lean it on his shoulder.

Tomorrow was the weekend and he had two days off, and he was going to go on an adventure through the forest nearby. He grinned as he thought of all the adventures he would have. It was going to be great!

Luffy pulled his head back in, thinking he would have to do some of his homework in order to get through school on Monday. Last time he had neglected to do his homework, well, even Luffy had been a little scared.

Grabbing his bag, he unzipped it and dipped a hand inside. He pulled out a maths book, poked his tongue out at it and dropped it by his side. Next, he pulled out a book he was supposed to read for English and dropped it on the floor as well.

Grabbing out his art book, he considered it for a second and then opened it to a middle page where he was supposed to be drawing a dog. Although, it rather looked like a cat with an extra leg. Luffy turned it so it was upside down and then smiled.

"Not so bad. Don't know why my art teacher thought it was a house." he commented before placing the book down open on the floor. Luffy sighed and bent over it.

"Guess this is my work tonight." he muttered.

----

The next morning found Luffy sitting on the floor of his little house, glaring at the rain that was pounding against his window as he idly twirled a straw hat between his fingers. He glanced down at it and then back at the window.

"Stupid rain." he muttered and then crossed his arms and looked at his finished project. It actually looked like a dog now. Or at least, Luffy thought it did, and in Luffy's opinion, if he thought it was good, then it was. A loud thunderclap boomed overhead and Luffy looked up at the roof.

"Buzz off." he commented grumpily. He wanted it to go away so he could go on his planned adventure into the forest. His stomach rumbled and Luffy's mouth twisted. Maybe he should go into town and see if he could scab some food.

Standing up, Luffy's stomach rumbled again. He placed his hat on his head and moved towards his corner cupboard.

"Hnnn, soooo hungryyy." he whined as he grabbed his tattered black denim jacket from the cupboard and put it on. Thunder rumbled again as Luffy moved out his door and turned to lock it.

He stuck the key in his pocket and turned. The alleyway looked a little ominous, but, Luffy went down it anyway. He stayed close to the wall to try and avoid as much rain as possible, but, he still got soaked.

Luffy ran as the rain got harder and he dived into a nearby shop. He took off his hat and shook his hair and then looked around to see where he was. Lacy things. Frilly things, and a grumpy woman glaring at him from over the counter.

Uh oh.

Luffy blinked and then stiffened.

"Eep!" he cried and ran out of the lingerie shop and back into the rain, squishing his soaked hat back on his head as he did so. "Not the best place to pick." he muttered and then looked up as lightning flashed across the sky above him, quickly followed by a particularly loud clap of thunder.

Luffy squeaked and ran down the street, this time ducking into a toy store. He checked what the shop was this time before going in.

"Hello Son. What can I do you for?" a smiling man behind the counter asked. Luffy turned and smiled.

"Nothing thanks. I was just getting out of the rain." he replied. The man chuckled.

"Aren't we all." he replied and Luffy paused.

"Aren't we all what?"

"Huh?"

"You said aren't we all. Aren't we all what?"

"Getting out of the rain." the man replied and Luffy blinked and then grinned.

"Ohhh, I get it now." he cried and looked around. The man sighed.

_Not too bright. _He thought. A particularly cool toy caught Luffy's attention and he hurried over to only find it was behind glass. He pressed his face against it and the man behind the counter raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, son, could you not press your face against the glass? I just cleaned it." the man said. Luffy turned and then took a step back, laughing nervously.

"Sorry." and he looked back at the blinking toy. It was a little robot with lights that blinked and reacted to human movement. "So, what else does this toy do?"

"It can talk, reply to questions, has an extensive dictionary, can walk and dance, follows you around like a puppy, and will even bring things to you, provided they aren't over ten kilos." The man replied as he ducked out from behind the counter to walk over and stand beside Luffy.

"Like this hat?" he asked, pointing to the object in his hand. The man smiled.

"I'm pretty sure it would be able to carry that for you." he replied.

"Wooooow." Luffy exclaimed in wonder. The man nodded.

"It is pretty cool." and there was another crack of thunder, "Wow. Some storm. Don't know where it came from." and the power went out. "Oh bugger it." and Luffy felt the man leave his side. He stared at the toy for a minute and then he felt someone come back to his side again.

"Be at the Baratie restaurant at three o clock this afternoon." a gruff voice said beside him and Luffy stiffened.

"What?" he asked, turning around but he couldn't see anything.

"Baratie. Three o clock." and then the lights came back on. The checkout man blinked at Luffy who was looking around wildly, hoping to catch whoever it was who had just spoken to him.

"Son… you okay? You look a little pale." the man asked. Luffy's wide eyes snapped back to look at him.

"Uh… I'm fine. What's the time?" he asked, his voice panicky.

"About, twelve. Why?"

"No reason. Have to be somewhere. Thanks for the shelter. See ya." and he ran out the door, hat back on his head again. The man raised an eyebrow, a slightly freaked out expression on his face.

"Strange kid that." and he went back to playing the Gameboy that was sitting on his desk.

----

Luffy hurried down the street, the rain pelting against his back. He was in serious danger of being hit by lightning, but, he was a little spooked by what had happened in the toy shop. He saw a bus shelter and bolted for it.

Two people were sitting in there, shivering about as much as Luffy was. The black haired boy sat down on the seat and wrapped his arms around himself. It was freezing.

"S-s-s-so c-c-cold." he muttered, teeth chattering.

Looking around at all the shops that were still open, he noticed a particularly warm looking one. Standing, Luffy hurried back out into the rain and across the street. He pressed his palm to the door handle and pulled it open.

Stepping through, Luffy sighed at the warmth that hit him. It was nice! He shut the door quickly behind him as he looked around. Furniture store. Comfy chairs sat around the room, and heaters were on full blast in every corner. Luffy hurried over to one and bent over it, pulling his hat off and holding it in front of the heat so it dried better.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" a voice asked. Luffy turned and smiled at the tall man standing behind him.

"Umm, I'm just getting warm and drying Hat." Luffy replied. The man smiled, gave a short nod and then walked away to talk to a customer who had just walked in. It was an orange haired girl and she glanced at Luffy, who smiled back and then went back to his heater. He was just getting warm when the girl sidled up to him.

"Hello." she said. Luffy turned and smiled.

"Hi." he replied.

"Nice in here, isn't it?" she asked and Luffy nodded.

"Yeah. It's so cold outside."

"I know. Don't you have an umbrella?"

"Uh… no. Just my hat."

"Oh. Well, what do you think of the furniture in here?" and she waved a hand vaguely around the room, leaving the subject of the umbrella to rest. Luffy blinked and looked around.

"Uh…it's nice I guess." he replied unsurely. The woman nodded.

"What's your favourite bed?" she asked. Luffy raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Hmm… that one with the big mattress and the cool design." he replied, pointing at a dark wood bed in the corner.

"Pricey." she muttered, "Better be worth it."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." she replied and then looked at her watch. "Oh, one o' clock, I had better go. Nice talking to you." and she hurried away.

"She's weird." Luffy muttered before going back to his heater. Had he really been out in the rain and in this shop for an hour? Wow, time really flew. Luffy spent the rest of his time in the store, pretending to look at beds and chairs and even tentatively sitting on a rather comfy looking chair, which turned out not to be very comfy at all.

He paused at the bed he had pointed out to the woman and the checkout man hurried over, a sold sign in his hand. He placed the sign on the bed and then hurried back to his counter where he commenced glaring at Luffy. The boy gave a nervous wave and then walked over.

"Uh, what's the time?"

"Ten to three." he replied. Luffy stiffened.

"Thanks!" and he flew towards the door and out into the rain… again. Holding his hat to his head, he looked up at the shop signs as he flew down the street he was sure he had walked down yesterday. The restaurant he had been told about was the one he had peeked in and that man had looked back at him.

That man. Actually, the one who had attacked him in that alleyway kind of looked like him. All skinny and long legged. Luffy bolted down the street and saw the 'Baratie' sign flash past. He skidded, slipped and fell straight on his side in the mud.

"Awwww." Luffy moaned as he stood, his clothing soaked right through. His hat had luckily stayed on his head. He looked up at the door to the restaurant and saw the man who had knocked him over yesterday, his leather jacket and black jeans dry as he stood there, eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses and a frown on his face.

"Well… don't just lay there. Get the hell inside!"

--------------------------------

**Ha, cliffhanger. Pretty easy to figure out though. I was pretty good at dropping hints as to who they were. Ha, but I didn't tell you what the organisation was. I made sure I didn't drop any hints as to what they were. Reviews would be much appreciated as I would like to know if I should continue posting this, so, yeah, pleeeeeeeeeeease review. -grin-**


	2. This is my room?

**Second chappie, hope you all like. A little twist in this one, should be interesting. I hope I can make it believable and make it work for me. XD **

**Btw: I will not be updating next week, and maybe not the week after because I am going away. So, I apologise for this, k? Sorry peoples. **

**-------------**

_**Chapter 2: This is my room?**_

Luffy scrambled to his feet and hurried towards the man, who simply stood in the doorway and looked down at him.

"Are you gonna move?" Luffy asked. The man raised an eyebrow from behind the glasses.

"Nope. You get past." the man responded.

"Well that's not very fair." Luffy commented, putting his hands on his hips. The taller man chuckled and pushed his shades down a little bit so Luffy could see the top of the man's eyes.

"I'm not a very fair person." he responded and then turned sideways so Luffy could run in. What the hell had he challenged him for then? The restaurant was full, but as Luffy stopped to inspect all the wonderful food, he felt a large hand press against his back and push him gently forward.

Luffy was then directed up the stairs and into a small room which only had a small set of draws and a bed.

"Ohh, is this where you live cool guy?" Luffy asked as he looked around. The man pulled his sunglasses off and slid them into his pocket.

"Nope. It's where an… associate lives." and the man paused a moment to frown. Luffy blinked and then waved a hand in front of the man's face.

"Helloooo?" he asked and pressed a finger against his forehead, causing the man to snap a hand out and batt Luffy's hand away rather forcefully.

"Hey!" Luffy cried, holding his injured wrist and pouting.

"Hey what? Don't touch me kid, that's the first rule."

"Who… are you?"

"You don't need to know that right now. All you need to know is this, tonight, I will be coming to visit. I will tell you everything then. You will say nothing about seeing me, hearing me, or talking to me. Got it?" and then man frowned at Luffy who nodded.

"Of course." _not that I have anyone to tell it to. _Luffy thought. The taller man put a hand on his hip.

"You'll be a good asset to our organization… now out. I need to think." and Luffy was shoved out by the man and he had the door slammed in his face. The boy gaped at the now closed door for a while before finally walking down the stairs and back into the main restaurant.

How rude that man had been. Luffy looked around at all the people staring at him before he ran out the door. He was lucky the rain had stopped, and he could now walk home in peace.

"I wonder if that guy will actually visit. He seemed like he didn't want to be near me, or have me near him. Weirdo. But, he looked so cool." and Luffy grinned. Maybe he was finally on his way to making friends! With a new bounce in his step, and a grin on his face, he hopped his way back to his house again.

----

Luffy watched the door. The sun had gone down long ago, and Luffy was sitting on the floor, his chair having fallen to bits at last. Luffy drummed his fingers on his arm and then bent to rest his chin on his drawn up knees.

"Hurry up…" he moaned, "Getting bored here." and he sighed. His stomach rumbled loudly. "Man, soooo hungry. Haven't had any food…" and he got up and checked the cupboard.

Nothing. He groaned and then placed his fingers against the sharp edge of the shelf and gave it an aggravated shake.

"Stupid thing." he muttered and let it go. He sighed and sat down on the floor, his eyes drooping slightly. "Wonder what time it is? Probably late. Stupid guy. Probably not even coming." and he yawned. "Need sleep." and he dropped sideways, his arms still wrapped around his knees, and went to sleep.

"…oi. Kid." a voice forced it's way into Luffy's wonderful dream about meat, and … well, meat. "Hey, come on. Wake up!" and Luffy sat bolt upright, his eyes looking around wildly until they came to rest on a tall man standing over him. It was the guy from earlier that day… only, he was different. He didn't have his sunglasses, and he wasn't wearing a leather jacket.

Behind him stood four other people and a reindeer.

"Huh…? Reindeer?" Luffy muttered and shook his head, "Must still be dreaming." and he yawned.

"You're not dreaming. That's a reindeer." a boy said as he stepped forward. The man standing in front of Luffy crossed his arms. Luffy craned his neck around to look at the one who had spoken.

"Oh, hey, it's you! The guy who said good one!" Luffy cried. The curly haired boy blinked and then smiled as he twirled a gun around on his pointed finger.

"Yes." and then he looked at the orange haired woman beside him, "See, someone remembers me."

"By rights someone has to." she replied and Luffy stood.

"I remember you too! You were the one who asked me what sort of bed I liked today!" Luffy exclaimed. The orange haired woman chuckled.

"That's me. See, you're not the only one." she replied to the boy beside her and then smiled. The boy frowned and stuck the gun back in the belt of his jeans before crossing his arms.

"Who _are _you guys?" Luffy asked, a little confused. There was a soft chuckle from another woman who was standing beside the orange haired one.

"He certainly is curious, swordsman." she said and then her dark eyes came to rest on him. Luffy blinked and then looked back at the man who was closest to him. A wide smile was on the taller man's face and his head was cocked to the side as if he wanted to get a better view of Luffy's body.

"Certainly. Kid, you've just been chosen to become a part of my team."

"Eh? Team?" Luffy asked, totally in the dark. The group chuckled.

"Yes team. We are a big group who work together for our organisation." the orange haired woman explained causing the green haired man before Luffy to frown.

"N, I warned you about talking over me." the green haired man growled.

"Ah, get over it." she responded but fell silent anyway. Luffy was totally lost.

"...Organisation? Group?"

"What are you, a parrot?" the green haired guy burst out, a vein throbbing in his temple before he pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, "If I'd have known you were this stupid, I wouldn't have picked you." and he sighed.

"No, I'm not stupid! I'm sorry! I just got a little… uh, confused." Luffy replied, waving his arms around wildly, "Please, I wanna join your group. You guys look so cool!" and he stopped, biting his lip nervously.

The green haired man tilted his head backwards and looked down his nose at the boy before a small smile found it's way onto his face.

"Good. Now, Luffy, let's g-" but the taller man was cut off by Luffy's stomach rumbling loudly. The orange haired woman hid her smile behind her hand, the curly haired boy raised an eyebrow, and the other woman chuckled softly.

"It sounds as if rookie is hungry." the dark haired woman said.

"I can cook something when we get back home." a taller, skinnier man said from behind her. The dark haired woman sighed.

"Of course you can, Chef. Shall we leave, swordsman?" she asked. Luffy blinked at the people.

_Wow, they sure are weird looking, but, they seem really cool at the same time. Wonder if they have any food? Well, that guy said he could cook. Hnh, he looks familiar… oh yeah! He looks like the guy that attacked me! _

"Hey! You're the guy who attacked me in the alley!" Luffy suddenly cried, cutting off all conversation in the room as he dramatically pointed at the blonde man standing at the very back. The curly haired one began to laugh.

"You messed up. He recognised you!" and the boy laughed.

"U, do you want to me to knock you out again? Last time it was… what, a week before you came out of hiding?" the blonde asked. The one called U cringed. Luffy blinked.

"Everyone quiet. We should get going." swordsman commented before he turned to look at Luffy, "Grab your clothes and your school stuff and anything else you want from here because you wont be coming back." and he began walking towards the door.

Luffy blinked, went to the cupboard in the corner, grabbed his ratty school bag, the three shirts on the top shelf, the three pairs of jeans on the next, and his toothbrush and hairbrush. Throwing it all into his bag, he skittered back over to the doorway, hand on his hat. The orange haired woman looked around at him.

"That it?" she asked, a little doubtful. Luffy grinned.

"Yep." he replied. The woman called N looked at him.

"N, don't say anything." the swordsman said from the front of the group as he held the door open. The orange haired woman frowned, poked her tongue out at the green haired man as she passed him and then stood out on the sidewalk, waiting for the others.

U was next to walk out, the gun around his finger spinning idly as he walked. The dark haired woman was next and she was shortly followed by the blonde. Luffy felt something gently push him forward from his lower back and he looked around to see the reindeer standing there, it's bright brown eyes blinking up at him sadly.

Luffy blinked back and then walked out the door, past swordsman, but before Luffy had passed him, swordsman swung out an arm and caught Luffy around the chest, holding the boy back.

"While we walk, you are to be silent about anything we said in that room. You can ask us anything, but nothing is to be said about the organisation… understand?" swordsman asked, his hand tightening momentarily on Luffy's shoulder. The boy looked up.

"Ok." he replied and swordsman smiled, slapped Luffy on the shoulder gently and then let him go.

Luffy followed the group, watching each individual carefully. They looked trustworthy enough. No questions about the organisation huh? That was a bit boring… and stupid. Well, why couldn't he ask questions?

But, the swordsman guy had said not to. Luffy pouted. He wanted to ask things, he wanted to know. Well, if he couldn't ask about the organisation, maybe he could ask about something else. The guy had said he could ask anything.

"Hey, how old are you all?" he asked. That was a pretty standard question. At least… he hoped it had nothing to do with the organisation. What if it did? Luffy gulped.

"Eighteen." N said, raising a hand.

"Nineteen." S replied, raising a hand as well.

"Nineteen." swordsman said.

"Three hundred." U said and Luffy's jaw dropped.

"Usopp, cut that out." swordsman ordered. Luffy blinked. Wasn't he named U? Now he was getting confused.

"Oh fine, I'm seventeen. Happy?" Usopp replied and then poked his tongue out at swordsman's back.

"Twenty eight." the dark haired woman said from behind him, making Luffy jump.

"Wow. You're the eldest." Luffy commented. The woman smiled, but didn't say anything. Luffy was about to ask why she wasn't in charge, but, swordsman's warning came back to him and he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he asked,

"So, is your name Usopp?" The curly haired boy nodded, the gun having disappeared from his finger. Luffy couldn't see it anywhere. The boy had hidden it well. Luffy blinked at him and smiled, "Ha, you're the same age as me!"

"Mhm." Usopp replied again. He seemed an alright guy.

"So, do the rest of you have names?" Luffy asked, looking around. The woman behind him chuckled.

"Of course we do." she replied, "My name's Robin." and she smiled. Luffy grinned. This woman was nice.

"I'm the great captain Usopp!" Usopp cried. N turned around and hit him over the head.

"He already knows!" she yelled. Usopp cringed.

"And you aren't a captain Usopp." S said from beside him, "By the way, I'm Sanji. Nice to meet ya." and he grinned. Luffy smiled. That guy seemed cool too!

"Nami." the orange haired woman said and gave a small laugh. Luffy beamed. They were all being so nice! Swordsman kept his mouth shut. Nami reached forward and prodded him hard in the shoulder.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?" he snapped. Nami raised an eyebrow and then tilted her head towards Luffy. Swordsman sighed.

"Roronoa Zoro." he announced. Luffy blinked and then grinned.

"Awesome!" he cried, "You guys are all so cool! And nice!"

"Of course we are." Nami said and chuckled again.

"Especially you my dove!" Sanji cried.

"Put a lid on it." Nami snapped. Sanji pouted and stepped back in line.

"Well, I'm Monkey D Luffy." Luffy announced. Robin smiled.

"We already know. We've been watching you for a while." she said quietly. Luffy blinked.

"R, not here." Zoro snapped. Robin smiled a little more mysteriously from under her cowboy hat. Luffy watched her, she winked and pointed ahead towards Zoro. Luffy looked forward and then he saw something that made his eyes bug out.

A hand was coming out of Zoro's back!

He rubbed his eyes and then looked back at Zoro again. The hand waved at Luffy, and then tapped Zoro on the shoulder. Swordsman looked over his shoulder and the hand disappeared in a small swirl of cherry blossoms. Luffy blinked. What the hell had that been? Zoro sighed.

"Very funny Robin. You shouldn't do that in public you know." he said. Robin chuckled softly.

"I'm sorry Roronoa, it was too tempting." she replied and then winked at Luffy again. The boy chuckled.

_Wow… how the heck did she do that? Kinda creepy… but cooooooool! _Luffy thought as he followed. Zoro led them down the street and then into an abandoned alleyway and in through a door that only opened when Zoro had taken one of the pendants from his ear and pressed it into the centre of the door.

The metal seemed to mould around it and then there was a click and the door swung open. Zoro replaced his earring and walked inside. The others followed and Luffy looked inside before moving in. His eyes widened as he looked around.

"Wooow…" he muttered. It was a large room filled with books, games, DVDs, CDs, videos, board games, jigsaw puzzles and anything else you'd care to name. Luffy looked around as the door closed automatically behind him. Usopp popped up in front of him.

"Like it?" he asked. Luffy nodded.

"It's awesome!" he cried.

"This… is Pearl corporation's headquarters." Usopp explained. Luffy paused.

"Pearl corporation? I thought it was organisation?"

"Yes, that's the name _of_ the organisation, dummy." Usopp replied and then sighed. Luffy blinked and then grinned.

"Coooooool!" he cried and ran forward. He raced into the next room which was the dinning room. He peered around with wide eyes, taking in the large, circular table that sat in the centre of the room.

Food would be served there! Luffy grinned and looked around. There were two doors on his left, and one door on his right, while the kitchen lay dead ahead. He could see Sanji whisking about in there, his black jacket top off and his blue, shirt sleeves rolled up.

"That's your room." a voice said beside him. Nami was poking her head out from the left hand side, furtherest away door. She was pointing towards the single door on his right and Luffy blinked at her a moment before looking at the door.

"My room?" he muttered and then hurried to the door and placed his hand on the door knob. He turned it and gasped at the sight that greeted him. The room was huge! He pushed the door fully open and walked inside.

The bed he had said to Nami that he liked, was straight ahead of him, blankets covering it and everything. The carpet was long hair and bright red while the walls were a medium blue. It was a clash of colours but Luffy liked it.

He looked around some more. Sitting by the far wall was a large TV, a three seater lounge sat in front of it, also red. Luffy noticed there was a small room to his right and he walked over to it, moving around to the front he found there was a door.

Luffy opened it and then grinned. It was his own personal bathroom. It had a bath on the right side, a shower in the left top-hand corner, a vanity against the far wall with a basin, a mirror and a cupboard underneath that, a toilet between the vanity and the shower, and then in the left bottom side corner was a set of shelves that reached to the ceiling.

It was stacked with shampoo, conditioner, soap, washers, towels, shower caps, mats, and shower curtains. The walls were a plain white, and the floor tiles were a dark, almost browny-red colour. Luffy took this all in for a moment before moving back into the main bedroom and closing the bathroom door.

He looked around and saw a desk sitting against the left hand side wall. On it sat a small wireless phone, a set of pens and pencils, a book, and a laptop computer. Beside the desk there was another door. Luffy decided he would try that later, after he had thoroughly explored this amazing room.

How had he gotten so lucky? Nothing like this had ever happened to him before! He had a large, double door cupboard in the right, bottom corner, and a book case took up what was left of the room against the right wall, as a large window ran down most of it.

"It's so big." he said quietly before hurrying over to the bed and jumping onto it. It was bouncy, and comfy, and Luffy liked it already. He couldn't wait to sleep in it, but, he was too excited for sleep right now.

"It is big." a voice said from the doorway that he had entered through. Luffy looked up and saw Zoro leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed and a small smile on his face, "Do you like it?"

"It's the most awesomest, awesome thing I have ever seen!" he replied loudly, waving his arms around like a loony. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Right… anyway, Sanji made you some food. It's on the table out here." the swordsman said and then walked away. Luffy leapt off the bed, leaving his bag sitting on the floor, and ran to the doorway. He peeked out and saw a large meal sitting on the round table.

Luffy's eyes nearly went twice their size as he bounded over to the table and sat in a chair so fast that it tipped onto two legs. By the time it had resettled itself, Luffy had begun inhaling his food… literally. Usopp sauntered into the room, coming in from the direction of the kitchen. He paused at the sight of Luffy.

_Whoa… that kid is dangerous when he's eating. _The marksman thought and then shook his head and craned his neck through the doorway and back into the kitchen.

"Hey Sanji, Luffy's enjoying your food." the boy called. Sanji, who had just finished putting a heap of dishes into the dishwasher, sauntered out into the dinning room. His eyes went wide as he saw Luffy eating his meal in record time.

"Hey, hey hey, you'll get a stomach ache if you eat that fast… moron." Sanji said. Luffy paused, his cheeks bulging before he swallowed all the food that was in his mouth with one tremendous gulp.

"Heh, sorry. Haven't eaten in a few days." he replied and laughed a little sheepishly. Sanji blinked.

"A few days?" he asked. Luffy nodded.

"Yeah. Hey, if you guys were watching me, you should know that." he replied. Sanji's mouth twisted and he lifted a hand to take the cigarette from his mouth before responding.

"Don't be a smart ass. We haven't been watching you twenty-four seven. Just every now and again." the chef replied. Usopp chuckled.

"That drawing of the… dog was it? That was bad, man." he said. Luffy frowned.

"Hey!" he whined. Usopp chuckled again before exiting through the kitchen.

"Don't mind Usopp. He's an artist, so he's obviously a snob." Sanji said and placed his cigarette back in his mouth again. Luffy blinked, and then shrugged when he decided he had no clue what the hell Sanji was talking about before he went back to his food.

Sanji let himself have a small smile before moving back into the kitchen. Luffy ate the last of his meal and then whined slightly when his fork hit the now empty plate with a loud 'clink'.

"No more…" he muttered. Sanji was back in an instant.

"Do you want some more?" he asked. Luffy looked up and then smiled brightly.

"Yes please!" He cried. Sanji raised his curly eyebrow and took the plate from Luffy and went back to the kitchen. Luffy waited, the prongs of the fork between his teeth while he flicked the handle end of it with his finger.

It only took another minute for Sanji to come back into the room and set the plate down in front of Luffy again.

"Don't expect to get service like this all the time, kid. This is a once off. Got it?" Sanji asked as he leant back. Luffy pulled the fork from his mouth and stabbed it into a piece of meat.

"Got it." he replied, not actually knowing what he was agreeing to as his mind was entirely focused on the food sitting in front of him. Nami walked into the room, barely glanced at Luffy before she went through to the kitchen.

"Usopp!" she called. Luffy looked up, still shovelling food into his mouth. Why did Usopp go that way? Why did _Nami _go that way and call for Usopp? Luffy would have to find this out. He finished his food again, only this time, he was a little more full.

A little more, but, he yawned as he pushed his chair back. He could eat some more another time. When it came down to it, he was actually, really, really tired. He wondered what time it was. Probably late. Looked like he wouldn't be exploring tonight. Luffy yawned again and his eyes drooped.

"You should go to bed rookie. You will need your rest for tomorrow." a mysterious and feminine voice said behind him. Luffy looked around and saw Robin standing there. Luffy blinked blearily at her as he stood up.

"Yeah… guess you're right." he replied. Robin smiled as Luffy stumbled tiredly towards his newly appointed bedroom.

"You should be in bed too, swordsman." Robin commented, looking around. Zoro, who had been leaning against the wall inside the kitchen beside the door, poked his head out and frowned.

"I was observing him…" Zoro responded. Robin smiled her mysterious smile and walked back to her door and into her room. She smiled a little more widely as she closed the door behind her.

"I think rookie and swordsman are going to get along just fine." she said quietly and then with a light chuckle, she began preparing to go to bed. Tomorrow, was going to be an interesting day… for all of them.

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**Hmm, so what do you all think so far? Interesting to see Robin still has her powers, don't you think? And Luffy's room! Ugh, I would die to have a room like that. **

**Reviews please! You know how I love em! I love to reply to them as well! He he. -waves-**


	3. An explanation

**Oh, I love this story sooo much. And I am loving how it's turning out too! -is so very proud- Hope you are all enjoying it as well!**

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_**Chapter 3: An explanation**_

"Get up kid!" a voice yelled. Luffy jumped as he was roused from his sleep. He looked around blearily before yawning and burying his face back into the pillow. It was so comfy and warm in his bed.

"Get. Up!" and his bed was tipped sideways. Luffy blinked as he floated in mid air for a second and then hit the ground with a rather unhealthy 'crunch'. He sniffed at the carpet and then poked his tongue out.

"Smells like feet." he muttered and then sat up again. Luffy rubbed at the back of his head and looked around, yawning as he did so. Zoro was standing beside the bed, rearranging the sheets and blankets.

"Whadja do that for?" Luffy yelled. Zoro paused and then frowned.

"Because, you need to be up. It's time for your first day of work." he responded and then walked out through the door at the end of Luffy's bed, closing it behind him. Luffy frowned as he got up again, brushing off the front of his pyjamas as he did so.

"Stupid… green haired…" and Luffy continued muttering curses towards Zoro as he changed into his clothes and then went into the bathroom to wash his face. He looked up at the mirror and smiled brightly.

"Haven't had a good night's sleep like that for ages!" he exclaimed and then frowned, "Stupid Zoro messed it up though. What the hell was his problem anyway?" and he walked back out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Sitting on his bed was Usopp. The boy grinned at him and Luffy smiled back.

"Hi Usopp!" he cried as he ran back to the table beside his bed and grabbed his hat. The long nosed boy chuckled.

"Morning. Zoro woke you up then?" he asked. Luffy frowned and nodded as he placed Hat on his head. Usopp chuckled again.

"Don't worry bout him… he has a little bit of a, uh, chip on his shoulder to put it bluntly."

"Chip on his shoulder? Huh?" Luffy replied, not understanding. Usopp sighed.

"He has a little bit of a problem. Something that distracts him and makes him the way he is." the boy explained, putting it in the simplest of terms. Luffy blinked and then a thoughtful expression crossed his face and he was about to reply when Nami poked her head through the door.

"Hurry it up would ya? Zoro's in a bad mood this morning." she said.

"When is he not?" Sanji commented from behind her. Nami jumped and spun around.

"How the hell did you manage to sneak up behind me?" she asked.

"My love guided me to you!" Sanji replied, wiggling around like a worm. Nami sighed.

"Come on love boy." she muttered before grabbing him by the ear and then dragging him back into the dinning room. Luffy looked at Usopp, who shrugged and brushed past him. Luffy tilted his head and then followed as well. Usopp walked through to where the kitchen was and Luffy blinked.

_What's in the kitchen? _He wondered, _Apart from food. Gah… that reminds me…_

"Hungryyyyy." he whined. Usopp, who was just about through the kitchen, paused and looked back to see Luffy holding his stomach. He blinked.

"You can eat after Zoro talks to you." he said. Luffy looked up.

"Really?" he asked brightly and then zoomed up to Usopp, drool hanging from his mouth. Usopp backed away a step.

_This kid is weird… _he thought before continuing through the open doorway into the lounge room. Zoro was sitting at the big round table, most commonly referred to as either the discussion table, or the punishment table.

If someone messed up a mission, they were to report to the table for punishment, or, if the group had to discuss tactics and battle strategies, they reported to the table. It was a multi-functional area. Luffy looked around as he entered the room, his mouth open in obvious awe. He looked over and saw the lounge chairs that were sitting in front of a large TV and he blinked.

"Cooooool!" he cried and was about to run over to it when Usopp grabbed his arm.

"Not that way just yet." the boy muttered, casting a wary eye at the obviously grouchy swordsman. Luffy blinked and then whined in his throat.

"Why not…?" he asked. Usopp shook his head and pulled Luffy over to the table and gently nudged the boy into a seat. Nami and Sanji were sitting on either side of Zoro and both of them smiled at Luffy as he sat down.

Robin soon wandered in, and she sat on the other side of Nami. Usopp had sat beside Sanji, and Luffy looked over at the empty seat between himself and Robin.

"Who sits there?" he asked.

"Doctor sits there… but he hasn't arrived yet." Robin replied. Luffy blinked. There was someone else he hadn't met? Which reminded him, where was the reindeer? No sooner had Luffy wondered this than the reindeer with the pink hat burst from a door to their left. He puffed a moment and then blinked at them.

"Sit down Chopper." Zoro said quietly. The reindeer blinked again and then moved over to the seat beside Robin and Luffy. Only when everyone was properly seated and comfortable, did Zoro open his eyes and look around the room. He smiled at the grim looks on their faces.

"What are you all so glum about?" he asked and then leant on the table in front of him, "It's time for Luffy to have his initiation." Luffy blinked. Okay, this guy was just plain weird. One minute, it looked as though he was directing a funeral service and then next he was smiling and joking around.

"Initiation?" Luffy asked.

"Oh yeah! It's been forever since we've done anything like that!" Usopp cried and then looked at Luffy with a slightly maniacal glint in his eye.

"That's because you were the last one to get it Usopp." Sanji commented, lighting another cigarette. Luffy had a confused look on his face.

"I know that!" Usopp replied.

"Do you remember what we did to you?" Nami asked darkly. Usopp's face fell and he bent forward.

"Oh… it was so horrible." he whimpered. Luffy stiffened. He knew this had been a bad idea. Okay, so maybe he hadn't known, but, now his brain was trying to tell every muscle in his body that they ought to run right now.

The rest of the group watched him, scary smiles on their faces and dark glints in their eyes. Luffy placed his hands against the rim of the table and was about to push himself backwards when Zoro laughed.

"We're just foolin' with ya." Usopp commented and slapped Luffy on the shoulder. The boy twitched and then laughed nervously as the rest of the table burst into outrageous laughter.

"Very funny guys…" he muttered. Even the reindeer seemed to laughing at him. Luffy bowed his head and let his hands relax against the table. That had been a close one.

"Okay. Serious time now." Zoro ordered from the head of the table. Everyone's laughter died down until there was silence again. Zoro looked at Luffy and placed his other hand on the table, so his arms were crossed on the hard, wooden surface, "Ask anything you want. All questions will be answered."

"Anything?" Luffy asked.

"Mhm."

"Ok… cool. How about, what is Pearl corporation?" he asked. Zoro nodded.

"Pearl corporation is an agency that protects and looks after the well being of all the people who live around the world. We handle missions, cases, mysteries, and any thing else that the government deems too dangerous for their own special agents, army, police force, fire department, yadda yadda. It was established seven years ago by a man with the name of Dracule 'Hawk-eye' Mihawk.

He was the greatest swordsman in the world but he was killed in a blast from an un-detonated bomb on a cruise ship. The government spent two years going through heads of office, special police forces and the likes to try and find a new head for the organisation, but no one wished to take the job… until they found me.

We have unlimited money resources, we are allowed to kill without authorisation from the government, and we have unlimited access to weapons, vehicles, explosives, top secret information, search warrants, you name it, …we got it. Also, the members of Pearl were handpicked to have abilities that are beyond the capabilities of a normal human being. We _are_ the elite." Zoro explained, ticking various things off on his fingers as he spoke.

Luffy blinked.

Half of that had been gibberish to him, but, as he understood it, this place was the ultimate in coolness! He grinned.

"That sounds soooo cooool!" he said. Nami smiled.

"It is." she replied.

"Okay, so, can I ask another question?" Luffy inquired. Zoro inclined his head and Luffy smiled. He had never been allowed this much freedom to ask whatever he wanted before. It was kinda cool, "Why is it called Pearl?"

"It was named after the man who had originally thought it up. Sonogoro Pearl. He was the information expert in the team. He was murdered exactly a week before Mihawk died." Zoro replied, "Anything else?"

"Yeah. What did you pick me for?"

"I'll answer that question later. Anything else?"

"Okay… what are the group's special abilities?"

"I am a master, and the only known person on this earth with the ability to use an art form known as Santoryuu, or, the ability to wield three swords. I also have the ability to blend with my surroundings so you won't ever know I'm there. Nami?"

"I have extensive knowledge of navigation, a little training in medicine, I am an expert at the thievery and I wield a stick called a clima-tact. Robin?"

"I have a power which I displayed last night as being the ability to grow any limb on any surface and control it. I have an extensive knowledge of archaeology, history, and ancient artefacts. Doctor?" and the reindeer paused before looking at Zoro for confirmation. The swordsman nodded and Chopper opened his mouth.

"I am a doctor. I was trained by my adopted mother and father who both died. I am a pretty good fighter when the time calls for it and I am also a talking reindeer. Also, if I get angry, it can have rather frightening consequences. Usopp?"

"Wait… a talking reindeer? That's so cooooool!" Luffy cried and then commenced looking at Chopper's mouth, and head, and throat, and ears and everything else. The reindeer jumped at all the attention but he gave a nervous smile.

"Yeah… I'm a talking reindeer. Ah, Usopp?"

"Hey, Luffy, will ya sit down?" Usopp asked. Luffy blinked at him, halfway through examining Chopper's nose, which was a very interesting shade of blue. The boy sighed and sat down in his seat again.

"Sorry…" he muttered.

"Nah, that's okay. Well, I am a marksman and I can plug an ace of hearts at fifty feet and so could my father before me. He was a member of this organisation before I was, but, he died as well. Four years ago. No one knows how. Anyway, I can draw anything, and I have a photographic memory so, if a suspect gets away, which is unlikely with me on the case, I can draw him or her from memory. Sanji?"

"I'm a chef. I can cook anything your heart desires, but don't be fooled. My meals can really give you a kick." and he winked. Zoro sighed.

"Sanji, just tell the kid what you can do. No point trying to be a smart a-"

"Oh, you fight with your feet then?" Luffy asked, interrupting Zoro. Sanji grinned around his cigarette.

"Sure do. My hands are for cooking and nothing else. Except of course, for my two lovely ladies." and he leaned across the table and smiled suavely at Nami and Robin. Nami rolled her eyes.

"You'll be seeing lovely stars in a minute Sanji." she responded. Robin smiled.

"Chef is only being polite." she reprimanded her friend.

"Ah, Robin is so wonderful!" Sanji cried, hands under his chin and body wriggling like a worm again. Usopp sighed and shifted his chair slightly away from the love struck chef.

"Can we get on with it please?" he asked. Zoro nodded.

"Anything else you want to ask Luffy?"

"Hmm… when's breakfast? I'm starving." he replied. Zoro's head slipped from the hand it had been resting on and hit the table with a dull thunk. The rest of the group at the table laughed. Zoro pulled his head back up and glared around the table, an angry red mark across the bridge of his nose and on his forehead.

"I meant something about Pearl." he replied. Luffy pouted.

"But, you said I could ask anything."

"I meant, you could ask anything about Pearl corporation."

"Well why didn't you say that?"

"I thought it was a given!"

"What was a given?"

"Ugh! Sanji, go make breakfast. This discussion is over." and Zoro made to stand up.

"Wait." Luffy said and Zoro paused, "You didn't answer the question of why you chose me." and Zoro blinked before sitting down again. He studied Luffy for a moment and then narrowed his eyes.

"Luffy… have you ever noticed anything about you… or your body that was strange?" he asked. Luffy blinked.

"No." he replied. Zoro sighed.

"What about, you being able to do things a normal human couldn't?"

"Nope." Luffy responded and Zoro heaved a deep breath and then let it out.

"Luffy… you were chosen for this group because you have skills in fighting that we need. You also have a special power… but, as of yet, you haven't realized what it is." the swordsman replied before getting up again, "Breakfast Sanji."

"Yeah yeah, I'm going Marimo." the chef responded before standing as well. Zoro frowned.

"Dart board."

"Shit head."

"Dumb blonde."

"At least my hair is a normal colour. Unlike that seaweed on your brain."

"At least I have a brain, blonde's aren't known for that." and they glared at each other. Luffy looked up and then tilted his head.

"If Zoro is the boss, how come Sanji can talk to him like that?" he asked. Usopp chuckled as Sanji and Zoro began full on shouting swear words at each other.

"Zoro and Sanji have always done this. It's a common thing in this house. I think it relieves their tension and stuff." Chopper replied. Luffy looked around at the reindeer.

"Waaa, you're so cool!" Luffy cried again. Chopper grinned half-heartedly before hopping off the chair and moving back towards the door he had originally burst from.

"BASTARD!"

"IDIOT!"

"Come on Luffy, I'll give you a tour of the house while we're waiting." Usopp said quietly, steering Luffy away from the area. He pulled Luffy around the table, careful to keep away from Sanji and Zoro, who looked about ready to throttle each other, and then into a large room much similar to Luffy's.

Just as Usopp shut the door, there was a loud shout of,

"ENOUGH!" and then two 'thunks' and two groans of pain. Usopp chuckled as he closed the door with a light snap.

"Nami hit them hard this time." he muttered. Luffy looked around the room and Usopp turned back to him.

"Is this your room Usopp?" Luffy asked as he walked forward. The floor was covered with light brown short hair carpet and the walls were a light yellow. The room was set up a little differently to Luffy's as well.

There were clotheslines strung across the ceiling, and pegged to them were pictures of faces, people, houses, park areas, and various anime. All hand drawn as well. Luffy looked around in awe.

"Wow… you are a really good drawer Usopp." he muttered as he walked forward. The long nosed marksman stuck his chest out proudly.

"Of course I am! I have abilities that normal humans don't." he replied. Luffy laughed.

"What was Zoro talking about when he said I have a special power?" he asked vaguely as he wandered around. Usopp gave Luffy a rather confused look.

"You mean, you honestly don't know?" Usopp inquired. Luffy craned his neck so he could see Usopp who was still standing behind him.

"Nope. No idea. Wanna tell me?"

"…I'm not authorised to." and Usopp bowed his head in apology. Luffy shrugged.

"Meh. I don't care. I realize it when the time comes… I hope. If I don't, will Zoro kick me out?" the boy asked, a little panicked. Usopp blinked at him and then placed a finger on his chin in thought.

"No… I don't think so. He would probably just feed you to the underground garbage monster so you were never heard from again." the long nose responded. Luffy gulped.

"The… underground… garbage monster?" he asked slowly. Usopp nodded happily.

"He did it to poor little Jimmy. Recruited him and then threw him to that horrible beast. His screams echoed in my ears for days." he replied. Luffy stiffened and his face went rather pale before he ran past Usopp and burst out the door.

"Luffy…? Hey! I was only kidding!" the boy called but it was too late. Usopp frowned, "Oh, I'm in for it now." and he closed the door again. Luffy ran through the dining room and into the kitchen where Sanji was busy preparing breakfast for them all. The boy looked around desperately and Sanji turned.

"Hey, what's the matter with you? Misplace something?" the chef asked, his front now covered by a rather frilly, pink apron. Luffy ignored the fact that a guy was wearing pink, and continued searching.

"I need to find Zoro." Luffy responded. Sanji frowned.

"What the hell for?" he asked in a snappy tone before turning back to the sizzling pan in front of him.

"I need to tell him that I know what my powers are, but I don't actually know what they are, or if I even have any, so he won't feed me to the garbage monster thing!" Luffy replied, talking so fast his words were almost slurred together. Sanji blinked and then gestured towards an opening behind Luffy that led into a hallway.

"Go out there, and to the left. You'll come to a green door. That's Zoro's room." the chef replied. Luffy spun around and zoomed out the door.

"Thanks!" the boy called before he disappeared. Sanji shook his head.

"Strange kid." he muttered before dropping a rose into a vase for his wonderful Nami and smiling. Breakfast wasn't complete without a rose for his beloved.

-----

Luffy zipped down the hallway as Sanji had instructed and he skidded to a halt outside the green door. He paused, and gulped before raising a hand and knocking on it.

"Come in." was the grunted reply. Luffy turned the door handle and poked his head through. Zoro was sitting on a bed in the bottom, right hand side corner and Luffy had to open the door a little further so he could see.

Before he spoke though, his eyes caught the pictures that lined every inch of the walls. Villains that were caught, villains still on the loose. Mysteries that were solved, prime ministers saved from certain death… and a repeated picture of a dark face with only the eyes showing. Zoro looked over at Luffy as the boy gazed at the pictures.

"What do you want?" the swordsman asked, uncrossing his legs and stretching them. Luffy jumped and looked back at his superior.

"Uhm, can I ask something?" the boy inquired. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"You could have asked it at the table." he replied. Luffy blinked.

"But, Usopp told me something and I wanted to ask-"

"Piece of advice, don't believe anything that Usopp says when you're not in a dangerous situation. Ok? He's a compulsive liar."

"… a what?"

"He can't stop himself from telling lies and stories to people. He does it to Chopper all the time, but, even though Chopper knows they're lies, he still enjoys Usopp telling him things. Was that all?" Zoro asked, raising his eyebrow again. Luffy blinked.

"Uh… I think so. But, what about little Jimmy and the garbage monster? That wasn't a lie was it?"

"Jimmy never existed, and the closest thing to a garbage monster that lives around here would have to be the neighbour's dog." Zoro replied. Luffy blinked again and then nodded, letting himself sigh with relief.

"Thanks." the boy replied and then walked into the room. Zoro's brows furrowed and his mouth twisted slightly in annoyance.

"What more do you want?" he growled. Luffy shook his head.

"Just lookin'." he replied.

"Well look somewhere else. I'm busy."

"Doin' what?" Luffy asked as he studied a weird picture of a guy with ballerina costume on. He shuddered at the man's hairy legs before turning to look at Zoro. The swordsman frowned.

"I was thinking." he responded. Luffy tilted his head.

"Well, you can think while I look, can't you?" he asked. The swordsman growled in his throat.

"Not… really. You're distracting me." he practically hissed. Luffy ignored the hostility. This guy was intriguing, and cool too.

"How?"

"By standing there and talking to me."

"What if I don't talk?"

"You'll still be distracting me."

"How?"

"I'll be able to see you looking at things, and I can hear your breathing."

"Oh… how about this?" and Luffy clamped a hand over his nose and mouth, effectively shutting off his air supply.

"Very funny…" Zoro muttered, leaning back against the wall behind him. He watched Luffy for a minute, and then noticed that the boy's face was turning red.

"Hey… hey! Breathe!" Zoro commanded and Luffy let his hand go and gasped. Zoro blinked at him. "I didn't think you were serious."

"Well, you said my breathing was distracting you."

"Yeah… but not that much. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I don't know. I hope there's nothing wrong with me. Is there something wrong with me? Can I fix it?" and he began to panic. Zoro just watched, an incredulous expression on his face. This kid was unreal.

_What the hell have I gotten myself into by recruiting this kid? _Zoro thought as Luffy blathered on about whether something was wrong with him or not. Zoro just closed his eyes, and hoped the problem would go away… but he highly doubted it.

------------------

**And there is the explanation about Pearl. I have been planning that out in my head for ages. I hope it came out as effectively as I had planned. Any questions? Just ask em' in a review. I will be glad to tell you the answer... unless it gives away something that happens later on. **

**Then I will just tell you that you will have to wait and see. XP Sorry. Can't give away any juicy details can I? Anyway, I'll see you all in the next chapter hopefully! Love ya all! **


	4. Keys and crankiness

**Another chapter is here! Hooray! -throws confetti around- Yeah, I'm over it. **

**-----------------------**

_**Chapter 4: Keys, and crankiness**_

Sanji flipped the last pancake onto a seventh plate. He hadn't cooked for this many people in a long time. Not since he had been recruited from the Baratie anyway. He paused a moment to look down at the plates sitting on the bench, steam gently wafting into the air.

Nami and Robin's beautiful breakfasts were set to one side, a rose in a vase beside each. A cup of fresh squeezed orange juice for Nami in her beautiful, orange patterned glass, and a cup of freshly ground coffee for Robin in her favourite ceramic cup.

A jug of orange juice for the rest of the group, and a mug of coffee for the shit head. Sanji studied the plates again, just to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, before he picked up Nami and Robin's trays and moved suavely out of the kitchen.

He placed them in the appropriate places and then went back into the kitchen again. He picked up Zoro's, Usopp's, his own, and the rookie, Luffy's and balanced them on his arms before moving out of the kitchen again.

He set down the plates and then paused at the seat Zoro had chosen for the boy to sit in. It was as far from the head of the group as it could be. Sanji frowned. Why the hell was that shitty bastard being that way? He sighed. He knew why. …Kuina. He moved past the table and knocked lightly on Nami's door.

"Yes?" her voice replied. Sanji smiled at the angelic voice of his forbidden desire.

"Breakfast is ready my sweet." he replied before moving onto Robin's door. He lifted a hand and was about to knock when Robin's voice echoed out to him.

"Thankyou Chef. I'll be there in a moment." Sanji smiled again. He should have known she would already know. She had probably been watching him with that extraordinary power of hers. He walked back to the table and frowned as he sat down.

"Oi! Shitheads! Breakfast!" he yelled. For a moment Sanji thought there had been a minor tornado. A skinny figure with a bright red shirt on was sitting at the table. Sanji blinked and then realized that it was Nami's seat the boy was sitting in. He frowned.

"Hey!" he growled, getting to his feet. Luffy paused and looked up, hat askew before he reached a hand up and flicked the brim to put it back into place.

"What?" the kid asked, hand hovering over a fork. Sanji pointed at the seat at the other end of the table.

"That's your place. We each have a certain place we sit in. How we were sitting in the discussion table is how we sit at the dinner table. Get it?" the chef explained, a little annoyed. Luffy blinked.

"Well… that's kind of dumb." the boy replied before getting up and moving to the place Sanji had pointed at.

"Yeah, well… it's Zoro's idea." Sanji replied. Luffy tilted his head.

"You don't like Zoro much, do you?" he asked as he grabbed a fork and shoved a whole pancake into his mouth. Sanji's lip curled in disgust and he looked away so he could reply.

"No. I don't."

"Why?" Luffy asked, his voice muffled by the food he had shoved into his mouth.

"I have my reasons." and he looked over as Nami and Robin exited from their rooms and made their way to the table. Only when the two women had sat down and begun eating, did Sanji pick up his own utensils and begin eating as well.

Usopp was next and he sat down beside Luffy and then leaned away slightly as Luffy poured himself something to drink and splashed it everywhere. He paused and then sighed, placing the jug back down.

"Sorry…" he muttered before standing and making for the kitchen. Sanji stood.

"Don't worry about it. Just be more careful next time." and the chef walked past Luffy and into the kitchen, coming back a few seconds later with a cloth in his hand. Luffy watched as Sanji expertly wiped up the mess and then moved back to the kitchen.

"You can sit back down again you know." Sanji commented as he came back out once more and then sat himself down again in his place. Nami, Robin and Usopp were all watching the boy and Luffy smiled.

"Thanks!" he cried before jumping back into his seat. All his food was gone, but Luffy found he wasn't hungry anymore. For once, he had been filled.

Chopper burst out of his room door again and then paused, eyes looking around a little nervously before he scooted through the lounge room, and then the kitchen, and around behind Luffy and into his seat. His fur was slightly singed on the left side of his face and Robin sighed.

"You have burnt yourself again Doctor." she said. Chopper blinked, holding his fork between his hooves.

"I have?" he asked. Robin nodded and a hand came up from the table and rubbed at the burnt patch of fur on Chopper's cheek. The little reindeer squealed and squirmed before the hand disappeared again. Luffy's eyes were wide.

"How… how do you do that?" he asked. Robin looked up and smiled mysteriously.

"A magician never reveals their secrets rookie." she responded before she leant her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand. Zoro was last to arrive at the table, and Sanji was sure to remind the swordsman about it. As Zoro moved into the dining room, Sanji raised an eyebrow.

"You're late." he said. Zoro frowned.

"I'll get my mother to write me a note." he responded sarcastically before sitting down in his allotted seat. Sanji smiled.

"Crying to your mummy now are we?"

"Cut it out you two." Nami growled. Zoro glared at her for a second before beginning his breakfast.

Luffy sat back in his seat and observed the room around him.

"Hey Luffy, wanna go and play a game?" Usopp asked beside him. Luffy turned and looked at Usopp for a moment before his face broke into a wide grin.

"Sure!" he cried.

"What about you Chopper?" Usopp asked. The little reindeer looked up and then smiled nervously.

"Uh, I gotta work on something." he replied. Usopp nodded.

"Good luck then. Come on Luffy." and he got up from his seat and was about to leave the room when Zoro spoke.

"Usopp, did you print out that itinerary last night?" he asked, looking up from his meal. Usopp thought a moment.

"Oh… uh, yeah I did. It's on the desk in my room. I'll go get it." and he raced off, leaving Luffy standing around in the dining room. There was a loud ring and Robin stood from her seat.

"I'll get it." she said and moved towards the door. She opened it and stepped out into the entrance room, closing the door behind her as she did so. Luffy blinked and then shrugged. Usopp skidded back into the room, three sheets of printed A4 paper in his hand. He laid them down in front of Zoro and then pointed at the top of the second page.

"I don't know if that's the right street name. Nami couldn't find it on any of her maps, and I couldn't find it on the computer." the boy said. Zoro nodded.

"We'll figure it out." he replied. Usopp nodded and then moved back towards Luffy again. He smiled and Luffy grinned back brightly.

"Game time!" the boy cried, punching a fist into the air and startling everyone else in the room. Usopp blinked and then led Luffy out into the lounge room. Luffy launched himself into one of the large lounge chairs and curled himself into a ball much like a cat. Usopp raised an eyebrow but didn't comment as he walked over to the large TV and opened a small cupboard door.

"We have, x-box, ps2, game cube, x-box three sixty, or Nintendo 64. The Nintendo is kind of old, but, it has some wicked games." and then Usopp looked back at Luffy who shrugged.

"I've never played any video games before so, whichever's the coolest!" he replied. Usopp blinked.

"You've never played video games before? What about computer games?"

"Nope. Never played them either."

"Why?"

"Never had the money to buy them. Ace poured all of our money into my schooling." and then Luffy stiffened, "SCHOOL!" he yelped.

"Luffy…" Usopp said, trying to calm down the panicking boy, but he may as well have tried to stop a rampaging rhinoceros.

"I was supposed to be there an hour ago! Ace is gonna be so mad when he comes back! I have assignments due, and stuff to do, and…" and on he went.

"Luffy…" Usopp tried again but it was still no use. The boy kept blathering on about how he was going to have detentions for the rest of the year.

"Luffy!" Usopp yelled and the boy paused to look at his new friend in a rather confused way. Usopp sighed, "You won't be going back to school. It's all been set up. If you're really desperate about learning, we can arrange something but, you won't have to go to school again."

"…ever?" Luffy asked, his eyes sparkling. He was liking this idea, but then, what would Ace say? That was the clincher. He didn't want Ace's money to go to waste.

"Ever. You will be on missions most of the time anyway. No way you can go to school when we have to work." Usopp replied and winked. Luffy's face fell. He still felt bad for betraying Ace.

"But… Ace…" he said softly. Usopp paused and the smile on his face faded.

"Ace?" he asked, "Your brother?" and Luffy nodded.

"He was paying for me to go to school, and now I'm not. He'll be so disappointed." and Luffy pulled down the side edges of his hat. Usopp sighed and closed the little cupboard door again. It didn't look like they would be playing any games this morning.

"Luffy… when you join this team… or recruited as it were, you have to sacrifice a few things. I know. I've been there too." he said. Luffy looked up.

"You have?"

"Uh huh. I had to leave school and I was panicking because my best friend was there by herself… and still is. But, once you have been recruited into Pearl, the only way out of it again… is to die." and Usopp looked away. Luffy blinked at him and then bowed his head.

"What was her name?"

"Huh?"

"Your friend. What was her name?"

"Kaya."

"Was she nice?"

"She was wonderful! I used to tell her heaps of stories about adventures that I have never actually had, but wished I could have. She was smart, and funny, and the nicest person to me when I was down." and he broke off, watching the floor as he thought.

"Do you miss her?" Luffy asked, his knees now drawn up to his chin on the couch. Usopp nodded and Luffy tilted his head to the side.

"You'll see her again one day!" he said brightly. Usopp looked up as Luffy gave him a large grin.

"You really think so Luffy?" and the boy nodded earnestly.

"Of course. And when you do, you can tell her how much you missed her."

"Thanks Luffy." Usopp replied with a smile.

"Usopp… we have a mission." Nami said, poking her head out of the kitchen doorway. Usopp blinked and then sighed.

"I'll go get my stuff." and he hurried towards the doorway to his room. Luffy sat on the lounge, not sure what he was supposed to do.

"Kid, here." and a small plastic bag was thrown to him from an unknown source. Luffy looked around and finally spotted Zoro leaning against the wall. He really was good at hiding himself. He opened it and looked inside.

There was a pair of black gloves, a small weird looking earring, at least, he thought it was an earring, and a necklace with a ying-yang pendant on it.

"The pendant is your key into the house. Everyone has a different key." Zoro said from his leaning spot. Luffy pulled the necklace out of the bag and looked at it for a moment before slipping it over the top of his head. It's chain was long and the pendant rested just over his middle button. The pendant was cold and Luffy blinked at it a moment.

"Put it inside your shirt. You won't lose it that way." Zoro instructed. Luffy nodded and pulled the chain up, sliding it down the top of his shirt where the coldness of the pendant made him jump slightly. He fixed the chain up and then pulled out the gloves from the bag.

"You fight with your fists, right?" Zoro asked. Luffy nodded, "Then put those on. They'll protect your hands better." and Luffy did as he was told. These gloves were weird. They fit, but then, they didn't feel like gloves. They felt as if they were his fingers. Luffy blinked down at them and then grinned.

"Coooool." he muttered before pulling out that weird looking earring thing. He poked it and Zoro sighed.

"It's an ear phone. It's so we can communicate when we are far apart. Now, when we are on a mission, you do not speak our names. You simply say N for Nami, Z for me, U for Usopp, R for Robin, C for Chopper, and S for Sanji. When we speak to you, we will say L. Right?" Zoro asked. Luffy blinked at him.

"First letter, right." the boy responded before looking at the earphone. He had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do with the damn thing. Zoro sighed and walked over, sitting down on the couch beside Luffy. The boy blinked at him and then his head was turned to the side by hands that were gentle but firm at the same time.

"Take your hat off." Zoro instructed. Luffy lifted a hand and flicked the hat backwards. Zoro's voice sounded different beside his ear. It seemed more… soft. Caring almost. Luffy felt Zoro's hands fiddling around his ear, clipping the small earphone on without much trouble and then adjusting the microphone so Luffy could speak into it.

"Oh, and make sure you don't yell into the microphone. It kinda deafens the rest of us." Zoro said as he leant away. Luffy nodded and then watched as Zoro stood and walked away. What had that been about? When Zoro had come that close he had… well, he couldn't move. It was like he had been stunned. How strange.

"Come on!" Zoro growled as he walked through the kitchen. Luffy shook his head and hurried after the swordsman. Usopp burst out of his room, a pair of goggles over the bandana he had been wearing and a slingshot in his pocket.

Not to mention the gun which was stuck in the belt of his jeans on his hip. The marksman looked at Luffy, who had paused to watch him, and then gave him the thumbs up before hurrying through the kitchen. Luffy followed quickly. He felt a sense of excitement sweep through him and he could hardly contain the grin that spread across his face. This was going to be fun.

----

"L… stay where you are." a voice said in his ear. Luffy blinked and crouched down as far as he could go behind the large wooden box that was protecting him from that villain out there. That had been Zoro's voice in his ear and Luffy was willing to do what the swordsman said. He could hear the others talking through his ear phone, but none were addressing him.

"If I go up onto that walkway up there, I can snipe him." Usopp's voice said.

"No U, if you go up there, he will see you and hear you. You're quiet, but those bars are weak and they'll make some noise. Stay put." Zoro's voice returned.

"What about if I hold him in place?" Robin's voice came through.

"No. He'll be alerted to us. Shit, his shifting. S, where are you?" Nami hissed.

"I'm at the back of the damn shed. That bastard doesn't even know I'm here. I can sneak up on him." Sanji replied.

"No." once again Zoro denied the plan. Luffy bit his lip.

"What about a distraction?" he suggested. There was silence.

"That could work." Sanji replied.

"Hmm… who would be the distraction though?" Nami asked

"C, you there?" Zoro demanded.

"I'm straight across from S." Chopper replied.

"Good. See if you can't get around to the left side of the shed. When you're there, tell us." and there was silence. Luffy bit his lip and then grinned. This was so cool! He was getting to act like a real ninja! He let out a soft giggle.

"L!" Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Chopper, Usopp and Robin all hissed. Luffy slapped a hand quickly over his mouth but it was too late.

"The bastards moving again. C, hold your position." Nami hissed.

"Where is he going?" Sanji asked.

"Shit… we lost sight of him." Zoro muttered. The swordsman was concealed behind a large packing crate, and he was looking around as he desperately tried to find their target. The man was dangerous. He had killed at least ten people consecutively in the last few hours.

He had two long blades in his hands and an armoured vest that was covered in lethal looking spikes. He also had a few dozen grenades strapped to his waist. Zoro wasn't going to take any chances.

Luffy took his hat off and then poked his head up carefully from behind the crate.

"Gotcha…" a male voice said and Luffy stiffened as he turned and looked straight into the barrel of a gun. He blinked. "The rest of your mice, come out of your hiding spots. I have the runt!" the man called.

Luffy heard a collective sigh in his earphone and frowned. He wasn't going to let this group down. If he was going to be a member, he would have to act like one. He just hoped someone would make a noise. Someone did.

Chopper bounded out from behind the large tank he had been hiding behind. The man swung around and Luffy saw his chance. Placing his fist against his hand, he cocked his arm and jammed his elbow into the back of the man's neck. The guy jerked forward and Luffy struck the back of the man's leg with his foot, as hard as he could.

Chopper skidded to a stop as he saw Luffy kick the man in the leg and the guy stumbled forward, losing his grip on his gun temporarily until he had it again, and he whipped it around and fired a shot at his attacker. Only Luffy wasn't there anymore. He was around the other side, fist pulled back and ready to punch.

"Hey guy…" Luffy said with a small smile. The man looked around and Luffy let loose. He slammed his fist with all the strength he could muster, straight into the terrorist's face. There was a moment of silence and tension hung in the air like a thick fog, as Luffy held his fist square with the man's face until the man groaned and fell backwards, hitting the cement with a loud thud.

Luffy blinked down at the inert body of the man. He had done it… He had just defeated his first opponent on his first mission, all by himself! A wide grin spread across Luffy's face and he laughed.

"I did it!" he said happily and then looked around as Chopper moved over to him.

"Well done L." the reindeer congratulated, looking down at the man's body. Luffy grinned and then looked around as the rest of the team began appearing. Everyone except Zoro. Sanji was the next one to congratulate Luffy and the chef even gave Luffy a slap on the back.

Usopp was going on about how he had taught Luffy everything he knew. Nami was checking the man's body for hidden explosives and the like, and Robin was watching with a smile on her face.

"Z?" she asked into the microphone. No response. Just static. Robin sighed.

_He's doing it again… _she thought as she looked towards the door at the end of the shed. And just as she had suspected, it was open.

-----

Luffy pressed the pendant into the middle of the door back into Pearl corporation. The door moulded around it and then with a click, it opened. He moved inside and looked around.

"Zoro?" he asked. The group hadn't seen the swordsman since Luffy had knocked that guy out.

"But did you see that? He knocked him out cold, with one punch." Usopp exclaimed to Chopper as he walked in the door after Luffy.

"I know. You really are the coolest Luffy." Chopper said from beside him. The straw hatted boy looked down at the reindeer and then smiled.

"Thanks Chopper." he responded brightly. Sanji brushed past the two of them, pausing a moment to congratulate Luffy again before moving through the door and heading for the kitchen. Nami and Robin were last to walk in and they were laughing and talking about how for once on a mission they hadn't wrecked their clothes.

"No… you're just too fed up to try and make friends with him! It was over a year ago! Move on!" Sanji's voice echoed from the kitchen.

"He could have been killed!" was the return from obviously Zoro.

"So what! He didn't did he? Stop living in the past and grow up!" Sanji's voice returned. There was clumping footsteps and then the slam of a door. Nami moved around the stationary group and hurried into the kitchen.

"Marksman, rookie, doctor, why don't you come into my room for a nice cup of tea?" Robin asked. Hands with invisible arms pushed at their backs. They were ushered through the doorway into the dinning room and then straight towards the nearest door.

Luffy looked over as he was pushed towards the door and he saw Sanji leaning against the bench in the kitchen, his arms crossed over his chest and his face sad. Nami was standing in front of him and she looked depressed as well and then he was through the door.

The room was totally different to his own, Usopp's or Zoro's. It was larger for starter's. White, long hair carpet lined the floor, and light blue walls. Luffy's mouth dropped open in awe. Statuettes in glass cases lined the walls and Robin smiled at the expressions on her friends faces. It was a rare thing for anyone to go into Robin's room.

"It's different than mine." Luffy commented. Robin smiled.

"Of course it's different. It's my room, not yours." she replied. There was a knock at the door and then Nami poked her head in the door.

"We are all going into town. Celebration for Luffy's first successful mission." she said with a smile. Robin smiled back and then looked down at the three standing in front of her.

"Shall we?" she asked. The three boys cheered. Chopper liked going out. He enjoyed being out of the house without having to worry about a mission.

"I'd suggest getting changed though." Nami said, looking them up and down. Luffy raced past her towards the door to his room, Usopp ran out of the room and through the dinning room, and into the kitchen. Sanji smiled at him as he lit a new cigarette.

"Hurry up." the chef said. Usopp grinned back and ran past. Sanji's smile faded as Usopp left. He thought back on what Zoro had said.

"_He nearly gave the whole thing away and he could have died! What if he had accidentally activated one of those traps?" Zoro yelled. Sanji sighed. _

"_Then we would have all been blown up. Stop being so hotheaded. It was his first time." Sanji replied, trying to hold down the yelling so Luffy wouldn't hear. _

"_It was her first time too." Zoro said quietly. Sanji blinked and then frowned. _

"_You know that wasn't your fault." _

"_Yeah… but still, he could have been killed!"_

Sanji sighed again before moving out of the kitchen, through the dinning room and then into the entrance room. Nami and Robin were there and both of them looked around at Sanji as he walked through the door.

"He's doing it again, isn't he?" Nami asked. Sanji nodded.

"Let's hope rookie is tougher than he appears." Robin said from beside them.

-------------------

**Dun dun dun, what's Zoro doing? And why is he so worried about Luffy dying? And who is 'she'?**


	5. The next target

**Here we are again. I am really liking this story, hope you are too! **

**---------------------------------**

_**Chapter 5: The next target**_

Luffy looked around as they walked down the street. He had been down here countless times before but Nami had given him something which he had rarely, if ever, had before. Money. She had cautioned him not to spend it on useless things, but, everything Luffy saw looked useful… to him anyway.

Usopp was walking beside him, Zoro and Sanji behind them and the girls bringing up the rear. Chopper trotted along in front of Luffy, his head going from side to side as he looked at everything.

"Hey Sanji," Nami said, "Do you think Zeff would mind if we borrowed his restaurant for a celebration again?"

"Of course my wonderful Nami!" Sanji cried, performing his noodle dance. Zoro turned away with a disgusted look, and his eyes met Luffy's. The boy had turned to look back at the rest of the group when he had heard Nami speak.

Luffy smiled and raised a hand in a wave but Zoro just turned away again. The newest member of the group's face fell and his hand fell limply to his side. He turned back to watch the road in front of him again.

"Usopp, did I do something wrong?" Luffy asked. Usopp blinked and then glanced back at Zoro before sighing.

"Nah. He's always like that. You'll get used to him. But, on missions, try to be a little more careful, k?" Usopp replied. Luffy nodded.

"Ok." but, the boy couldn't help but feel that he had done something he shouldn't have, or he had in some way offended Zoro. He hoped he could make his new boss feel a little better about him soon.

Luffy didn't like it when people didn't like him, it had been something he had had to endure all his life. If he had to work with this guy, then, he would have to change his attitude. Now, … how did he do that?

Before Luffy could do anything, or even say anything, Zoro was gone. Off on his own tangent towards some store down a back alley that no one followed him down. Luffy paused and Usopp paused beside him.

"Luffy, forget him. He's being a martyr." the boy said, putting a hand on Luffy's shoulder. The dark haired boy turned to him.

"What's a martyr?" he asked. Usopp sighed.

"You don't know much, do you?"

"I know some." Luffy replied, puffing his cheeks in defiance. Usopp chuckled.

"Come on. We'll get something to eat." and he moved off. Luffy stayed where he was though, eyes transfixed on the point where Zoro had disappeared, "Come on." and Luffy looked forward, smiled and followed.

Who cared about some stupid guy who didn't want to pay any attention to him? Who cared that one minute, he seemed like your best friend, and the next he was ignoring you totally?

Seriously, who cared…?

---

Nami sighed.

"There goes our restaurant meeting." she said, "Usopp's taking off with Luffy and Zoro's being a dickhead."

"Swordsman, I think, is considering his options. He seems very intent upon Luffy, but, I don't think he knows how to handle the boy." Robin commented.

"Zoro's an idiot, even if he is our superior." Sanji muttered.

"Sanji." Nami hissed and the chef stiffened.

"Sorry." he apologised. Even if he was quiet, there were a lot of people around who you couldn't trust. People lurking around corners, just waiting for a juicy bit of information to take back to their own superior agents.

It wasn't known who was the head of Pearl, and if anyone had been listening to what Sanji had just said, they most likely would have figured it out. If they had been listening. But luck was on the chef's side today, and he was well clear of any people who could possibly hear him.

"Anyway, I think Robin's right. But, if Zoro doesn't start being at least a little more social, Luffy's just gonna go wild…" Nami said.

"I don't think so." Robin contradicted her, "Luffy seems like a very controlled person… or at least, he knows how to handle himself in a battle or a fight. I don't think he'll lose himself very easily."

"He certainly seems confident of his fighting abilities. Either that, or he's an idiot as well. Which, considering Zoro's brain power, probably isn't a bad thing." Sanji commented as he lit a new cigarette. Nami and Robin chuckled.

"Zoro's problem is, he is overprotective." Nami sighed.

"I agree. He thinks what happened to the last one, will happen to Luffy." Robin replied. Nami nodded.

"Yeah. He has to stop living in the past…" and then she grinned mischievously, "Guys, I think I have an idea." and she chuckled.

"Ah, you are going to create a little trouble?" Robin asked, a sly smile on her face. Nami grinned.

"Trouble? No. Stir things up a bit back home? Absolutely." she replied.

"Ah, Nami is so wonderful when she is planning things!" Sanji cried. Nami rolled her eyes.

---

Zoro stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked, head bowed slightly towards the ground and eyes narrowed.

"Stupid kid took a damn risk. Could have gotten himself killed. Why the hell should I care though? He's a damn rookie." he muttered darkly as he walked, letting the path of the alleyway lead him towards a familiar haunt he hadn't used in a while. Her face crept into his head and he shook it.

"Nothing's bringing her back… give it up." he growled. His head refused to and continued bringing him images of her laughing and joking with him. Of her training with him, and her first mission.

She had done the exact same thing as Luffy had… and Zoro had tried to help. But he had fucked that mission up entirely. Had fucked everything up. And it had cost him a member that would have been one of the only people he could trust. He felt a soft bump against his side and looked down to see Chopper at his side. He smiled and shook his head.

"Hey Chopper." Zoro said before resting a hand on the top of the reindeer's funny hat, "You didn't have to follow me to see if I'm alright. I'm fine."

"I know." Chopper replied, "But, I wanted to talk to you. About Luffy."

"Uh huh, what about him?" and Zoro paused, looking around the corner in front of him out of instinct before walking forward again.

"Well, he's cool, right?"

"Hmm, I guess." Zoro replied, not wanting to contradict the doctor and start a fight.

"Well, I was wondering. Why are you being mean to him?" and there was silence. Zoro sighed.

"I'm not doing it intentionally." he revealed and Chopper tilted his head slightly. The swordsman shrugged, "I think I am trying to distance myself from him. I mean, he's a good kid, but, if something happens to him…" and he trailed off.

Chopper blew out a breath and for a while there was just the click, clump, click, clump, pattern of their footsteps echoing off the walls of the alleyway.

"I think you should be friends with him." the reindeer finally said. Zoro paused and looked down.

"What?"

"Yeah. Be friends with him. He's so nice. And from what I have noticed, he seems to really like you."

"How would you know? You've been in your lab all the time."

"Hmm, just because I am in my lab, doesn't mean I don't know what goes on." the reindeer replied and then smiled, the expression seeming a little strange on the animal's face. Zoro chuckled.

"Right." and they continued to wherever it was they were going. Chopper suspected that Zoro had been heading towards the cemetery, but they had veered off that course, so the reindeer had a sneaking suspicion that Zoro had changed his course because Chopper was with him.

"So, where are we going?" the doctor asked. Zoro sighed.

"You really shouldn't be talking you know. Not in public." the swordsman responded. Chopper rolled his eyes.

"Was I supposed to tap my hooves twice for yes and once for no?" he asked. Zoro snorted and laughed.

"Guess not. I figured we'd head back around to the top of town and meet up with the others again." he responded. Chopper paused.

"Well, the top of town is the other direction." he commented, bewildered. Zoro slapped a palm against his forehead.

"Not again…" he muttered. Chopper laughed.

---

Usopp dragged Luffy to a shop at the bottom of the town and pulled the boy inside. He closed the door quietly behind him.

"Usopp?" a soft voice behind them asked. Luffy turned and blinked up a beautiful woman with golden, soft hair. She had a pale face but was pretty all the same. Usopp turned and smiled, pushing past Luffy to go to the girl.

"Hi Kaya!" he said. Luffy blinked.

"That's Kaya?" he asked. Usopp turned to him and smiled a little nervously.

"Yeah. Kaya, this is Luffy. A new friend."

"Hello Luffy, how are you?" Kaya asked. She had a light, but sweet voice and Luffy smiled back.

"Great thanks!" he replied before looking around the small shop. There were many knick-knacks and a few expensive looking things that Luffy didn't find interesting. But, one thing in particular caught his eye and he moved towards it while Kaya and Usopp talked.

Luffy tilted his head at the small device. It was small, but it glittered and glittery things always caught Luffy's interest. He watched it as it swayed on it's small stand.

"What are you looking at Luffy?" Usopp asked, knocking Luffy from his trance. He turned and smiled.

"This," and he took down the small bracelet that he had been looking at. Kaya blinked and then shook her head.

"Please, I would ask you to put that back. It is very dangerous." she said. Usopp tilted his head.

"Why is it on display then?" he asked. Kaya shook her head.

"I put it away but, every time I do, it comes back. It's cursed." she replied in her soft voice. Luffy looked at the shining golden bracelet and tilted his head.

"Don't look cursed." he said. Kaya walked over to him.

"Please, I wish you would put it back." she pleaded. Luffy looked at her.

"What does it do?" Usopp asked. Kaya sighed.

"The first time I sold it, it was to a young lady with her husband and he bought it for her as a present. But, three days later, she was found dead with the bracelet on her wrist. The cause of death was unknown. It was returned to me and I put it away, but it returns itself to that same place every time I put it away. Please, it's cursed. Do not take it." she explained.

"But… I like it." Luffy said as he looked at the bracelet and then smiled, "Stupid curse won't get me. Can I have it, please?"

"Luffy, if it's cursed you should just leave it there. We don't want to bring any unwanted bad luck into… our home." Usopp said. Luffy blinked and sighed.

"I guess. But, I still like it." and he placed it back on the stand.

"Come on Luffy, we should go." Usopp said. Kaya turned to the boy and smiled at him.

"It was nice seeing you again Usopp. Will you visit me again soon?" she asked and Usopp smiled.

"Of course! Great captain Usopp always keeps his promises!" and the two laughed. Luffy eyed the bracelet and was thinking about taking it down again when Usopp grabbed his arm and hauled him out of the shop and into the street.

"She's nice." Luffy said. Usopp nodded and glanced back at the shop again.

"Yeah." he replied a little absently. Luffy blinked.

"Hey. Helloooo?" and he waved a hand in front of Usopp's face, accidentally catching his nose on the downward wave.

"Hey!" Usopp cried, grabbing at his face. Luffy chuckled.

"Sorry." he said and then looked around, "I'm hungry." he announced.

"Zoro?" Usopp asked, ignoring Luffy's statement. Luffy's head snapped around and he looked at the shadow emerging from the alley beside them, a reindeer at his heels.

"Hey Usopp. What are you doing here?" Zoro asked, pausing beside them with his hands stuffed into his pockets. He looked a little troubled, but, Luffy had supposed that Zoro was troubled the first time he had met him.

Zoro was just a troubled looking guy. At least, that was Luffy's logic. Usopp glanced towards the shop they had just exited and Zoro smiled.

"Kaya." he said. Usopp nodded.

"Hey, I was just about to take Luffy to get something to eat, wanna join us?" Usopp asked. Zoro considered this for a moment and Luffy noticed the swordsman's eyes flick towards him a few times. Zoro was obviously considering whether it was a good idea to socialise with Luffy. This annoyed the boy and he made it his personal job to get this guy to talk to him.

"He's coming." Luffy said sternly and walked forward. Usopp looked at Zoro, who shrugged, and then the two followed.

----

Nami looked around the shopping centre. People were bustling everywhere and children were screaming and Robin was getting a headache. Sanji walked behind them, carrying at least three or four bags.

"This place is getting worse and there are so many people around now." Nami commented as she ran a hand over her cheek. Sanji nodded but his eyes were focused on a young girl wearing a short skirt and a tank top.

Nami looked around and found Sanji watching the girl, a love-struck gaze on the man's face. She sighed and stopping, she reached a hand up and whacked him around the head.

"Ah! I'm sorry Nami! I was listening!" Sanji cried, turning to look at her. Nami smiled and batted her eyelashes at the chef.

"Sanji, would you mind going and getting me a drink please? And Robin too." she asked in a honeyed voice.

"Of course!" he cried and pranced off. Nami blew out a breath.

"With all the damn half naked girls walking around in here, he'll be gone for a month." she commented dryly to Robin. The older woman smiled.

"I don't think so. Chef is very fond of you. I think he'll be back sooner than you think." Robin replied. Nami sighed.

"I guess." and she looked around for a place to sit. Finding a bench beside a large, green and leafy plant, she sat down. Robin sat down beside her.

"Oh look. There they are." she said and pointed a lazy finger towards the doors leading out of the shopping centre. In walked Luffy, striding ahead of Zoro and Usopp like he was head of a marching band. Nami watched them for a while and then smiled.

"Think they'll see us before they get here?" she asked.

"I don't know. Swordsman is awfully sharp… when he wants to be." Robin replied, resting her chin on her hand, her elbow resting on her crossed legs. Nami chuckled.

"Which isn't often." she muttered, "Aw, poor Chopper. He had to wait outside."

"Maybe we should go and spend a little time with doctor?"

"Hmm, that sounds like a nice idea." Nami replied and stood. Robin stood beside her and just as the older, dark haired woman was about to walk away, Sanji had returned, carrying two drinks as well as their bags. 

"Your drinks my lovely ladies." he said, holding them out. He looked distastefully at the glasses, but, didn't let it bother him… much. After all, he would rather Nami was drinking something he had made, that way the praise would make him feel good, and, he knew it wouldn't be drugged or poisoned by some other agency.

But then, if Pearl was a secret, how would others know? Sanji smiled as Nami and Robin accepted them. It was all a big mystery. If someone did know about Pearl, usually they kept it a secret.

There had been a little incident a few years ago where they had nearly been discovered, but that was only because Usopp had just joined and then the idiot had gone and bumbled up a damn mission and Sanji didn't know a lot about that as he hadn't been in Pearl at that stage.

"Sanji, we're going to spend some time with Chopper. Why don't you stay here with Zoro and Usopp and Luffy?" Nami asked sweetly. Sanji felt very put out, but he didn't let it show. He would never allow his wonderful ladies to see that they had upset him in anyway.

It would not do to let them feel guilty over him, after all, he was no weakling. He could take it. Sanji put on his most dazzling smile, his face looking a little strange with the absence of a cigarette. There was a no smoking policy in the centre. Which really sucked because the chef could do with a cig right about now.

"Of course I will stay here lovely lady, although cabbage head, carrot nose and Luffy aren't as wonderful a company as you are." he replied in a voice that was only reserved for Nami, Robin, and all the other cute girls in the world.

Actually, Nami tended to notice, that Sanji seemed to have a voice he used for her, which had a 'willing to die for you' sort of tone to it, a voice for Robin, which had a 'I respect and adore you' tone to it and then a tone for all other girls which had a 'you're cute and hot and I am willing to adore you if you will accept me' tone to it. Either that, or the chef was looking to get laid. Which was probably a better description.

And as Nami reflected on what she had just thought, Sanji's grinning face watching her, she thought, perhaps Sanji did like her a little differently to any other. Perhaps that tone in Sanji's voice was true.

"Nami?" Robin asked. The orange haired girl shook her head and smiled.

"Thankyou Sanji." and she thought for a second and then decided she would go ahead with what she was thinking, "I'll spend some time with you later, ok?"

"Your wish is my command!" Sanji cried but Nami could see the excitement dancing in the chef's visible eye. She smiled and walked away, Robin beside her.

"I sense that you seem to have a special place in your heart for chef as well." Robin said quietly. Nami blinked and then sighed.

"Don't be silly Robin. I was merely being nice to him." she replied, but as she moved towards the door, a small smile played around her lips.

---

As Luffy marched in front of Zoro, into the shopping centre, he felt something bump lightly against his leg. He ignored it, thinking it only to be a tissue he had forgotten about, or the pendant.

But as Luffy walked, he felt the pendant bumping against his chest and blinked, pausing a moment to push a hand into his pocket and feel around. It took a moment to locate the offending item, but then he found it and traced it with his finger.

It felt… round, and thin, and shiny, and smooth… cold, kind of nice really, and then Luffy's eyes widened as he realized what it was. The bracelet. He pulled his hand from his pocket quickly, Zoro and Usopp stopping behind him.

"What is it Luffy?" Usopp asked. Zoro hadn't spoken to him as of yet. Luffy blinked down at the small item in the palm of his hand. He tilted his hand so the light caught the gold and Usopp could see what it was.

"Luffy!" the boy gasped, "You stole that from Kaya's shop!"

"I didn't! I put it back on the stand, I swear it!" Luffy replied. Usopp watched him with narrowed eyes.

"What is it?" Zoro asked. Luffy turned and showed the small object to Zoro, who blinked, "A bracelet?"

"Uh huh. It's cursed." Luffy replied. Zoro looked at Usopp.

"Have you been filling his head with ideas again?" he asked in an exasperated tone. Usopp shook his head.

"No. It was a story Kaya told us. The bracelet murdered someone." he replied. Zoro sighed.

"Well, if that's the case, we should return it then." he said. Luffy nodded.

"Only one problem." Usopp interrupted, "Kaya closed shop a few minutes ago."

"Ohhhhh. I didn't want to steal it!" Luffy cried, his voice taking on a whiny edge and making Zoro frown.

"Stop whinging, we'll get it back to her and explain everything, but for now, just keep it on you. Don't lose it, alright?" he said. Luffy pouted and then nodded. Usopp looked around and then waved as Nami and Robin walked past them. Luffy looked over and then waved as well before Sanji strolled up to them, pink bags hanging from his wrists.

"Say a word Marimo, and I swear, you'll be cleaning the plates for a week…with your tongue." Sanji growled, seeing the spark that came into Zoro's eyes. The swordsman snorted.

"I wasn't gonna say anything." he replied and Sanji rolled his eyes. Luffy blinked at them and then looked past Sanji to see a tall and dark man standing in the crowd. His eyes fixed onto Luffy and then a wicked smile lit his features and he disappeared in a whirl of… what had that weird stuff been?

Luffy blinked and then frowned, walking forward. Zoro, Sanji and Usopp stopped their conversation to watch. Luffy was walking past a music store when there was a yell and the boy looked around just in time to see one of the cash registers explode outwards and then the one beside it exploded as well.

Money went everywhere and Luffy could hear a faint cry for help. Forgetting the strange man he had seen in the crowd, he ran into the shop.

"Luffy!" he could hear someone, maybe Sanji, calling behind him. He ignored it as he leaped over the edge of the counter and found a young man lying on the ground, a slash across the right side of his face and burns on his hands.

"Help." the man pleaded weakly, barely conscious.

"Luffy!" Sanji called again, appearing at the edge of the store.

"Get the hell outta there!" Zoro yelled.

"He needs help!" Luffy returned, popping his head up over the counter. Sanji looked around the store while Zoro leaped over the counter beside him. Usopp soon appeared as well, looking around a little more cautiously than Sanji, but helping none the less.

"He's got a concussion." Zoro stated, before looking around. He looked up at the ceiling and then his eyes widened as he spotted a small black device on the plaster above him, "Damn…" he muttered before scooping the guy up, "Come on. We have to get out of here." and Zoro jumped back over the counter again. Luffy looked around. He could still hear something.

"Sanji, Usopp!" Zoro's voice yelled. Luffy stood and peered into the back area of the store. It sounded like a little girl calling out. He was about to walk out there when Zoro's angry voice yelled at him.

"Luffy! Get the hell out of there now!" he bellowed and Luffy turned. He couldn't leave, there was someone who needed help. Next thing he knew, arms from invisible sources grabbed him, and threw him over the counter, then more arms began appearing, the others disappearing in a haze of cherry blossoms as Luffy was passed from one to the other.

He struggled but then… whatever Zoro had been expecting, happened. There was a light click, and then a loud and fiery explosion burst forth, the shock wave from it throwing Luffy out into the main centre and burning the arms before they disappeared.

Luffy rolled across the floor, his body aching from the shock of it all, but he ignored it in favour of turning himself over and looking back towards the store, which had become a raging inferno.

"The girl…" Luffy whispered and he felt hands grab at his shoulders and pull him upwards.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." Zoro said in his ear as he was pulled away. Luffy felt Zoro had been saying that way too much and he resisted, "Come on. You're hurt, and whoever planned this, had the intention of hurting you." Luffy looked around at him, eyes sad.

"There was a girl in there." he whispered. Zoro sighed.

"There was nothing you could do Luffy, you're a target apparently, and we have to get you away before something else happens." Zoro replied and began gently nudging Luffy towards the doorway.

The dark haired boy let himself be pushed and then he saw Robin, holding her arms and being supported by Nami and Sanji. He could see no burns on her arms, but the pain was still there obviously and Luffy felt guilty. If it hadn't been for him, then she wouldn't have been hurt. And if it hadn't been for her… he would have been dead.

---------------------------------------

**Wow, that was a pretty dramatic end to the chapter don't you think? Poor Luffy and Robin, and that little girl. And the guy that had a concussion, man, don't I know what that feels like. One too many falls from a horse... heh heh heh. Anyway, reviews are an expression of interest, so get interested! XD**


	6. Who's a rubber boy?

**La, la, la, la! Yeah I know, I'm weird. You don't have to remind me. XD **

**Anyway, enough about that. On to the chapter. **

**--------------------------------------**

_**Chapter 6: Who's a rubber boy? **_

Luffy sat at the table as Chopper patted little paw hands all over his back, making sure there was nothing more than minor burns and a few grazes to worry about. Robin had been given some pain relief by some of Chopper's specially designed pain killers, and then she had been sent to bed.

Now Luffy was being examined and as Chopper looked him over, Luffy couldn't get the small sound he had heard before the explosion. That weird click. It sounded familiar to him somehow, but, he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.

"No major damage, and the burns he _did _receive are very minor. Robin got him out just in time." Chopper explained to Zoro, who was sitting on the other side of the table, his thumbnail between his teeth as he watched.

The man who had been hurt, had been taken to the hospital and they had hurried him away, leaving Zoro time to get out of there again before they came back.

"Luffy, did you see anyone or hear anything or feel anything before the cash registers exploded?" Zoro asked, after nodding to confirm that he had heard Chopper's analysis. Luffy shook his head.

"I only saw this weird dark guy, standing in the crowd and then he disappeared, and that's when I walked forward." he replied. Zoro sat forward slightly.

"Do you remember what he looked like? How did he disappear?" he asked a little eagerly. Luffy shrugged.

"He went away in a swirl of… I don't know. Something. It was weird. Hey Zoro, is it weird to hear a click before an explosion?" and he looked up interestedly as Chopper placed bandages on his back. Zoro, who had a hand over his mouth as he thought, nodded.

"Hm, it's the click of the detonation of the explosive. At such a close range, actually, it's a wonder you weren't killed. Robin saved your butt kid." he replied, not looking at Luffy. The boy tilted his head slightly to the side.

"But… it sounded like…" and he trailed off.

"Done! Now, it's time for you to go and lie down Luffy." Chopper said. Zoro stood, knowing very well that he wouldn't be able to get anything more out of Luffy tonight. Chopper, a very good and caring doctor, would throttle him if he tried. Luffy shook his head.

"Not tired." he replied and he truly wasn't. His brain was buzzing with unanswered questions, thoughts that wouldn't leave him alone, and the click that continued to reverberate around inside his head.

"Well, you should lie down anyway." Chopper instructed. Luffy sighed.

"Let him be Chopper. If he wants to just sit there, that's his decision." Zoro commented, leaning back in his chair and locking his arms behind his head. Luffy blinked and Chopper frowned.

"He should rest though." the doctor argued.

"He's resting by just sitting there." Zoro replied, still rather relaxed. Chopper puffed out his furry little cheeks.

"He needs sleep!"

"But you said they were minor burns and scrapes." Zoro replied, still not responding to Chopper's anger.

"But he needs to recover from the shock to his system!" the reindeer replied, getting rather ticked off.

"I'm Fine!" Luffy yelled over the two of them. Both Chopper and Zoro turned to look at him as Luffy took a deep breath and stood from the table before walking away to his room and closing the door behind him.

He had just decided that he didn't like people fighting over him. It was a weird, and annoying feeling. Luffy knew how he felt, and no one else could tell him otherwise. He sighed as he sat down on his bed.

"That poor little girl…" he muttered, running a hand through his hair. There was a light knock on his door. Luffy didn't respond and the door opened to reveal a white cigarette and a mop of perfectly gelled hair.

"Hey, you alright kid?" Sanji asked, peeking in the doorway. Luffy nodded as he flopped backwards onto the bed and blew out a breath.

"Fine thanks Sanji." he replied. Sanji rolled his eyes and walked in, pushing his hands into his pockets as he did so and gently tapping his foot against the door so it closed behind him. He walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"What's bothering you?" he asked in a voice that told Luffy the chef knew something _was _wrong. Luffy rolled onto his side and traced the quilt cover's pattern with his forefinger.

"Well, when we were inside the store thing, I heard something." he replied.

"So did I. It's called music." Sanji responded, blowing out a puff of smoke. Luffy smiled slightly at the joke.

"No, I meant, I heard something other than music. It was a little girl, and I wanted to save her, but, Robin saved me." he explained. There was silence for a few moments and Luffy looked up to see Sanji watching him carefully.

"Luffy, you're gonna have to understand. When we're out there, we do the best we can. It's unfortunate, but, we can't save everyone. You saved that man." Sanji replied to him. Luffy frowned and sat up.

"I could have saved her." he said.

"No, you couldn't. You only just escaped when that thing blew. Come on Luffy, be real. You're new, and I'm not. I know how life works with us. It screws around and fucks you up when you least want it to, but that's life kid."

"No… it's not. Not if you let it treat you that way." Luffy said in a low voice, "If life screws with you, you screw with it right back. You kick it's ass, and you let it know that it isn't welcome. Don't let it treat you that way." Sanji blinked as Luffy stood from the bed and walked back out his door, slamming it behind him.

The chef sighed and ran a hand through his hair, brushing away the strays that had fallen across his eye.

"Damned little bastard's right." he muttered before getting up and walking out as well.

Luffy gently knocked on Robin's door.

"Yes?" her voice returned.

"Can I come in Robin?" Luffy asked.

"Of course you can rookie." she replied. Luffy smiled and opened the door, walking into the room. He spotted Robin lying on her bed and he smiled again.

"Thanks for saving me." he said. Robin smiled as she sat up.

"That's quite alright. It was my pleasure." she replied. Luffy grinned and bounded over to her.

"Are your arms okay?" he asked. Robin chuckled.

"They'll be fine. Doctor is very good at what he does."

"Yeah." and then Luffy sighed.

"Is something bothering you rookie?"

"I already talked to Sanji about it."

"Ah, chef is a very good person to talk to. He is a little angry sometimes, but he's a good friend."

"Yeah. But I told him off. He said life screws with you, and I told him to not let it."

"Well, you shouldn't."

"I didn't mean to! I just got angry! Should I go apologize?" Luffy panicked. Robin chuckled.

"No rookie, what I meant was, you shouldn't let life mess with you. Chef has been here a while, but he still has a bit to learn." and she winked. Luffy smiled brightly.

"Thanks Robin!" he cried and then closed his mouth, trying to stifle a yawn but failing miserably. Robin smiled slyly at him.

"I think you need some rest. Why don't you go and have some sleep?" she asked.

"Not tired." Luffy responded but unlike the last time he had said that, he actually was tired this time. Robin shrugged gently.

"The sooner you sleep, the sooner breakfast will come." she said. Luffy blinked.

"Night Robin!" and he zoomed out of the room. Robin chuckled lightly and lay back down, a hand appearing from the wall the reach down and flick off the light.

---

"SANJIIII! CAN I HAVE SOME FOOD?" echoed through the early morning quietness of Pearl headquarters.

"Get the hell offa me! Why do you have to cling to me? What the hell is it with you?" Sanji growled from where he was trying to get food out of the fridge. Luffy was hanging over his shoulder like some sort of bizarre scarf. Luffy grinned.

"Nothings it with me. I just really want breakfast." the boy replied. Sanji shrugged his shoulders, knocking Luffy off of him.

"Well the sooner you leave me alone, the sooner I can make it." Sanji instructed as he used his right hand to flick on the stove with a flourish, balancing eggs and bacon on the left. Luffy pouted.

"Can I help?" he asked. Sanji paused and looked around.

"Of course not." and he smiled, "I'm the chef. I do the cooking. But, if you want to do something, go and wake Zoro, Chopper and Usopp up." Luffy grinned.

"OK!" he cried and raced from the room. Sanji looked after him for a minute.

"He certainly seems better." he muttered before continuing.

Luffy raced to Usopp's door and knocked loudly.

"USOPP!" he yelled.

"I'm up Luffy!" Usopp returned a little angrily. Luffy tilted his head, shrugged and then ran to Chopper's door. He banged a hand against it and heard a crash from inside.

"CHOPPER!" Luffy yelled.

"I'm up!" Chopper replied, also a little angrily. Luffy blinked again and then ran back into the kitchen where he skidded past Sanji, who simply turned in a circle and avoided him easily as Luffy ran into the small hallway that led to Zoro, Sanji and Luffy's rooms. Luffy banged on the first door he came to.

"ZORO!" he yelled. Unlike the others, there wasn't a reply. Luffy tilted his head and banged again, "ZORO! Sanji said to get up!" but there was still silence. Luffy opened the door and walked in to find Zoro still fast asleep in bed.

Luffy frowned and put his hands on his hips before racing over to the bed, taking a giant leap and bellyflopping straight onto it, Zoro and all. The swordsman was instantly awake and he twisted around, grabbing Luffy's arms and spinning him around so the boy's back was pressed against Zoro's chest, and the swordsman's arm was around Luffy's throat.

"Zoro?" Luffy asked, moving his head slightly. The green haired man blinked and then sighed as he relaxed his arms, letting Luffy go and sitting back.

"Don't do that." he said as he rubbed a hand over his face. Luffy spun around on the bed and looked straight into Zoro's face.

"What?" he asked, bouncing slightly on his knees. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Jump on my bed like that." he replied. Luffy shrugged.

"Sanji told me to wake you up."

"Sanji's an idiot." and he pulled the quilt back up over him and rolled over. Luffy sighed and jumped off the bed, holding his hat to his head as he did so.

"Fine, whatever." and he ran back out of the room and slammed the door. Zoro frowned from where he was laying on the bed.

"Pain in the ass kid." he muttered.

Luffy moved back into the kitchen.

"Zoro's not coming. He won't get up." he said. Sanji, who had been able to guess what had happened, had already come up with a plan. He was sick to death of the shitty bastard not getting up in time for breakfast, and then complaining that his food was cold.

"If Zoro's not up, you don't get any breakfast." he said. Luffy paused, a stricken look on his face.

"But, but, Zoro doesn't wanna get up!" he sputtered. Sanji shrugged.

"Then you're not getting any breakfast." he replied. Luffy whined and bolted back the way he had came. Sanji smiled. That was easier than he had expected it to be.

Luffy barged back into Zoro's room and once again ran over to the bed.

"Zorooooooooo! Sanjisaidifyoudon'tgetupI'mnotgonnagetanybreakfast! So get up please!" Luffy cried, waving his arms like a lunatic. Zoro turned over and looked at him, a confused expression on his face.

"Say again?" he asked. Luffy took a deep breath and rolled his eyes.

"Sanji said, if you don't get up I'm not gonna get any breakfast." the boy replied slower than he had said before. Zoro groaned and buried his head under the pillow.

"Tell Sanji to fuck off." he mumbled. Luffy's mouth twisted and he grabbed the quilt and pulled it off the bed.

"OI!" Zoro yelled, his head coming up from under the pillow. Luffy chuckled.

"I don't wanna miss out, so come on!" and he grabbed Zoro's leg and pulled him from the bed and then dragged him straight towards the door.

"Gharffhkbbled!" Zoro cried as he was dragged from his bed. He managed to turn himself over and kick his free leg out and release himself. Luffy put his hands on his hips.

"Come on! I don't wanna be late!" he said. Zoro frowned as he stood and then he sighed.

"Yeah, whatever." and he followed Luffy, scratching at the back of his head. The boy skipped merrily into the kitchen where Sanji was just putting the last of the food onto the plates.

"FOOD!" he cried and made a dive for it, but Sanji stretched a leg up and placed it easily in the centre of Luffy's chest, holding him back.

"No way kid. Not until Nami and Robin have been served first." he said and then looked over as Zoro entered the room. The chef looked him up and down, taking in the black pyjama pants and white shirt, "You don't have much originality, do you Marimo?"

"Fuck you." Zoro growled as he walked past, grabbing up two plates and then hurrying out of the room as Sanji dived after him.

"Bastard!" the chef yelled. Zoro shrugged.

"Oi, Luffy, get the hell out here!" he called as he sat down at the table. Luffy ran out of the kitchen and Zoro placed the plate beside him, "There." Luffy yelped with glee and literally plonked into the seat before picking up a fork that had already been placed there and digging in.

"You two have the manners of crows." Sanji commented.

"Morning Luffy, Zoro." Chopper said brightly as he walked past Sanji, who had just turned around to go back into the main part of the kitchen. Zoro grunted and Luffy let out a 'hello', which sounded more like a 'grehlo' than anything else. Chopper chuckled and climbed awkwardly into his seat and crossed his skinny front legs on the table.

"How do you feel this morning?" Chopper asked Luffy, who paused and looked at him, blinking his big eyes like a puppy who was confused. He swallowed the food he had just been chewing and thought for a second.

"…fine. I think." he replied.

"You think?" Zoro asked. Luffy shrugged.

"Yep." and then he grinned and went back to his food.

"No soreness in your back, arms, anything? Don't have a headache?" Chopper asked.

"Nope." Luffy replied. Chopper blinked.

"Nothing?"

"Nope."

"What is it Chopper?" Nami asked as she walked in. Chopper shook his head.

"Just strange. Luffy hasn't got any soreness or anything from the attack yesterday." he replied. Nami shrugged.

"Maybe he didn't get hurt." she deducted as she sat down. Sanji pranced in immediately with Nami's food and laid it in front of her. Chopper shook his head again.

"I guess it's possible. But, from the way he landed, as with any type of shockwave to the body, he should be at least a little sore." the doctor said. Luffy, who had long ago gone back to eating, let his fork drop to the plate with a slight clatter.

"Ah, that was yummy." he announced, sitting back in his seat. Zoro smirked at Chopper.

"Let it go." he said.

"But-" Chopper began but Zoro frowned.

"Later." he growled. Luffy looked between them and then across the table at Nami.

"What's with them?" he asked. Nami shrugged.

"No clue. Just ignore them." she replied as she began eating. Robin was the next to enter the room and she sat down next to Nami. No sooner had she sat down though, than Sanji had pranced out and placed a plate in front of her.

"Thankyou Chef." she said and smiled at Sanji. The cook beamed. Usopp walked into the room and he sat down beside Luffy.

"Hey… weren't you sitting…?" Usopp asked, pointing to the seat on his other side. Luffy shrugged.

"I don't know. Was I?" the boy replied. Sanji walked out with Chopper, Usopp and his own plates. He set each of them down and then sat in the seat Usopp had been pointing at.

"Yes, he was, but Zoro decided he wanted Luffy beside him. Probably wanted to play footsies." and the chef grinned. Zoro frowned and slowly rose his middle finger towards Sanji, who frowned as well.

"Hey guys, check this out." Luffy suddenly said and lifted up a hand… which was twisted around the wrong way.

"Luffy!" Nami squealed, covering her mouth with her hand. Zoro and Sanji blinked, slightly horrified, Chopper looked as though he was going to have a heart attack, and then Usopp fell off his chair.

"Don't worry." and then the hand twisted back to it's normal state again and Luffy shook it.

"What the hell was that?" Zoro asked. Luffy shook his head.

"I don't know. But check it out." and then he grabbed one of his fingers and pulled! The finger resisted for a minute and then it stretched upwards. Robin smiled mysteriously.

"It seems as if rookie has found his special power." she said. Zoro smiled.

"Told you all. Sanji you owe me fifty bucks." Nami commented, holding a hand across the table and rubbing her thumb and a finger together. Sanji sighed.

"Here," and he handed a fifty dollar note to her. Nami smiled as she stuffed it into her pocket.

"Pleasure doing business with you." and she went back to her food.

"What is it though?" Luffy asked.

"Your special power." Zoro replied as he finished his food and put down his fork. Luffy blinked.

"That thing you told me about when I was first brought here?" he asked. Zoro nodded.

"That was barely two days ago." Usopp commented dryly as he got back onto his chair. Luffy shrugged.

"Feels like I've been here for ages." he said and smiled, "So, I can stretch like rubber now?"

"Apparently." Nami replied. Luffy blinked and then a wide smile spread across his face.

"COOOOOOOOL!" he cried. The whole table jumped as Luffy jumped up from his seat.

"That would explain why he isn't sore." Chopper said to Nami, who nodded.

"Rookie, there's a catch." Robin commented. Luffy paused.

"Yeah?"

"You can't swim." she replied. Luffy blinked.

"Why?" he asked. Chopper took a deep breath.

"The molecules in your body have become much denser and therefore are now way too heavy and you are not buoyant enough to be able to swim. There is a fine line between being able to swim, and not, and once your molecules have been re arranged, as they are now, then you cannot swim." the reindeer explained. The whole table just looked at him and Chopper sighed, "You will sink like a rock."

"WHAT? But, I like swimming!" the boy cried, finally getting it.

"You have no choice kid. It's a part of you now." Sanji replied. Luffy whined in the back of his throat and collapsed back into the chair. Zoro looked at him.

"It's not that bad. I mean, you stretch like rubber now, how cool's that?" Usopp asked. Luffy shrugged and plucked absently at his own skin, stretching it and letting it snap back into place. Zoro sighed.

"We're gonna have to practice now." he said. Luffy looked up.

"Practice?"

"Yeah, train your skills so when you have to fight, you don't rush in like a headless chicken." Nami replied. Luffy tilted his head and then giggled.

"Headless chicken." he repeated. Nami couldn't help it, she had to smile. This kid was the ultimate in cute, but she would never let him know that. Her eyes flicked towards Sanji, who noticed immediately and smiled right back.

Nami pretended she was looking at something past him before turning away. She felt a little guilty when she saw the fallen expression on the chef's face, but she dismissed it when Zoro spoke.

"First, you're gonna have to learn how to control your stretching." Zoro said mildly as Luffy's face suddenly stretched towards the table. The boy grabbed at his face and pushed it back into place, before smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of his head.

"Right."

-------------------------

**Luffy has rubber powers! Yay! Now we can have a little fun. Mwahahahaha! Yeah... anyway. Just have to say this, even though I wrote it, I really do love the bit where Luffy drags Zoro from the bed and drags him towards the door. I could see that so clearly in my mind that it made me crack up just thinking about it. XD **

**Special thanks to the anonymous reviewer I-Like-Cereal. And-Potatoes... cos' your review was one of the nicest I have ever gotten! -hugs- Thankyou! btw: Foster's Home for imaginary friends rocks! And I remember the episode when they said those lines. Although personally, my fav is when Mac goes on a sugar high and races all over the town. Cracks me up every time. And, I understand, I do believe you when you say you're sane, cos, I am much inclined to act the way you do. LOL. God I'm an idiot. -shakes head-**

**I wish I could draw a picture of that scene, but, I'm not talented enough at drawing. I can do like, when they're posing and stuff, but I can't draw action pictures. -pouts-**

**I look forward to your reviews! Thankyou in advance and I will give you a receipt and a free fuel voucher when you pay up. XD **


	7. Stretch until you snap Zoro

**Hey everyone! Back again with another chapter I am. Hopefully this chapter will be rather... comedic. I hope. -winces-**

**--------------------**

_**Chapter 7: Stretch until you… snap Zoro. **_

"Ok Luffy, you're gonna have to learn to walk first." Zoro said as he stood from the table. Luffy blinked at him.

"Why?" he asked, "I already know how." and he made to get up but, suddenly, his legs had turned into large, wobbly snakes. He fell to the side, his arms windmilling until Zoro grabbed him around the waist and held him there.

"See?" the swordsman asked, his breath blowing on the back of Luffy's neck. The boy felt his body shiver slightly until he was set back on his feet. Zoro's arms stayed where they were.

"But, I don't know how to control it!" Luffy cried.

"Relax, and remember how it felt to walk without your powers." Robin instructed as she got up as well. Luffy panicked for a moment, his arms jerking as he tried to steady himself and then his legs became solid. Luffy sighed and wiped a hand across his forehead.

"That was hard," and then he grinned triumphantly, "But I did it!" Zoro cleared his throat and Luffy looked around. He hadn't even felt the swordsman step away from him.

"You have a long way to go yet." Zoro commented and pointed at Luffy's arms. They were drooping towards the floor, almost like the boy was melting.

"AH!" Luffy cried and swung around but instead of snapping back into place, like you would think rubber would do, it just kept on stretching, until Luffy could have passed himself off at a sideshow as the 'whirling rubber boy of death'.

"LUFFY!" Sanji yelled as the boy's arm came dangerously close to Nami. For a while, it had been funny for the chef to see Zoro and Usopp trying to dodge the whirling arms, but when it started to endanger Nami's life, then, he had to draw the line.

And so he did.

Grabbing a hold of one of the arms, he brought his leg up, wrapped his ankle in the rubbery flesh, and yanked it towards the floor, pulling Luffy out of his spin. The boy looked rather dizzy and he blinked and shook his head.

"Hold still a second." Chopper squeaked as he hurried over.

"I don't think rookie has much of a choice." Robin commented quietly to Nami, who giggled. Chopper looked Luffy over and then sighed.

"He's alright. Just dizzy." Chopper affirmed. Luffy grinned and looked over at Sanji.

"Let's do that again!" the boy cried.

"I think his brain sloshed over to one side." Usopp commented. Luffy frowned and pouted.

"Did not…" he muttered before yanking on his arm. Sanji lifted his foot, and to everyone's amazement, even Luffy's, the arm snapped back into place again. Luffy peered at it, rotating his shoulder and then jumping to his feet and looking over at Robin, an ecstatic smile on his face.

"So, all I have to do is think of how it feels to be normal, and I will be?" he asked excitedly. Robin blinked and then smiled and nodded softly.

"How did he pick that up so quick?" Zoro asked Usopp quietly. The marksman shrugged and then looked down at his watch and blinked.

"I'm gonna have to go." he stated. Zoro frowned in confusion.

"Why?"

"Kaya." and Usopp hurried past the now happily stretching Luffy. Zoro watched as Usopp hurried towards the door and then shook his head. He was glad he didn't have any attachments to anyone.

Just as that thought occurred to him, Luffy's fist landed squarely in his stomach and he gasped, doubling over slightly. That had been one hell of a punch! Zoro looked up to see Luffy blinking at him.

"Sorry Zoro!" he cried finally, a smile spreading across his face. Zoro frowned.

"Have you figured out how to use your powers yet?" he muttered angrily. Luffy frowned as well.

"I only just found out I had them!" he responded, a little offended. Zoro stood straight again and glared straight at Luffy with his eagle sharp eyes.

But, unlike everyone else in Pearl, Luffy glared straight back with his dark and innocent ones.

To tell the truth, it unnerved Zoro slightly to have Luffy glare back at him like this, and he seriously considered throwing the boy back onto the streets and letting the other organisations handle him, but, spirit was hard to find. And for Pearl to keep up it's good reputation, he needed spirit. Even if it came in the form of a rather dimwitted, rubber boy. He sighed.

"Fine. Whatever. Don't care. Just as long as you don't endanger anyone's lives in here, you can try out your new powers, but, I warn you, if you break anything, you'll be getting locked into your room." Zoro threatened, "for a week." he finished. Luffy's jaw dropped… literally. It stretched so far that it nearly hit the floor. Nami raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"That's mean Zoro!!" Luffy yelled, his mouth snapping back into place again as he realized what had happened. Zoro shrugged.

"Punishment. Now, lets give him a crash course in defence guys." and Zoro moved out of the room. Sanji undid the buttons on his jacket and threw it over the back of the dinning room chair before following his boss. Nami was next to follow, and then Chopper. Luffy watched them go.

"You should move after them rookie. Swordsman does not like to be kept waiting." Robin said beside him and then chuckled before moving out after Chopper. Luffy followed after her. He was rather surprised to see that the table in the lounge room, had been moved.

The one where they had had their first meeting, and the lounge chairs were gone. Just as Luffy looked around, the tv that had been sitting at the far wall, suddenly was pulled back into the wall. Zoro clicked his fingers and the lights went out. Luffy blinked in the darkness, the hand he held in front of his eyes invisible.

"Guys…?" he asked quietly. No response. "Come on, this isn't funny! I don't wanna play hide and seek!"

"We're…" Zoro's voice echoed through the room.

"Not…" Sanji's voice.

"Playing…" Nami's voice. Luffy shivered. They sounded… scary. Spooky. Hands suddenly pushed him from behind and he spun around. What the hell was this? Some kind of joke? Luffy didn't think it was very funny.

"Defend…" Robin's voice echoed and Luffy immediately crossed his arms over his face. He was suddenly hit by something long, and hard and his arms bent towards his face.

"What the hell are you guys doing!" Luffy yelled as he batted the long thing away.

"Training…" Chopper's voice. Luffy gulped. He didn't like this.

"I don't want to train!" he cried, feeling his eyes prickle. Luffy gulped again. He didn't like this darkness, he didn't like the fact that these people were picking on him like this. Even if they called it training, he hadn't had any warning.

"Defend!" Sanji's voice yelled and Luffy brought his arms up again, but instead, he got a kick in the gut which caused him to stagger backwards. Luffy wrapped his arms around himself and looked up. He still could see nothing.

"I don't like this!" he hissed, feeling anger rising inside of him.

"You don't have a choice!" Zoro yelled and then it was as if the darkness didn't exist anymore. Luffy's eyes suddenly cleared and he was facing Zoro, a long wooden training sword was in line directly with his face.

The boy wasn't going to let that hit him. He let Zoro move closer towards him and then swung out, letting the momentum of his swing, stretch his arm outwards and towards the wooden sword. Zoro's eyes flicked and then he was gone, the sword clattering to the floor. Luffy sighed and then felt something hard pushed against his back.

"Dead." Zoro hissed in his ear and then the lights came back on. Luffy twisted around as fast as he could and saw Zoro standing there, a wooden sword in his hand. The boy blinked and looked towards the floor.

"But, you," and he pointed towards the sword on the floor. Zoro smiled grimly.

"Expect the unexpected, and learn to know what's going to happen, before what happens, happens." and he frowned at the look of confusion that passed across Luffy's face.

"Swordsman is trying to say, that you need know your enemy. Learn to tell the signs of a strong opponent without relying on physical attributes, such as body muscle, and things like that." and here Robin pointed at Sanji, who looked mightily pleased that the woman had chosen _him _to point at.

"Sanji is skinny as a rake." Nami added, "But he is incredibly strong. How's your stomach?"

"Uh… sore?" Luffy ventured. Nami nodded.

"That was Sanji's kick." she replied. Luffy looked at the chef and studied the thin frame for a moment. Sanji blinked and then pulled a packet of cigarettes from his pocket before pulling one out and placing it in his mouth.

"And the first hit you received, was Nami's clima tact." Sanji said as he lit the cigarette, "She is as strong and virile as she is beautiful." Nami smiled and there was a noticeably warmer tone of pink to her face after that comment.

"But, at the last, I saw Zoro coming for me and I defended." Luffy said, "and I saw through the darkness."

"You trusted yourself." Robin commented from where she was leaning against the wall.

"Huh? I got angry, that's about it." Luffy replied. Robin sighed.

"Anger is instinct, and when that instinct kicks in, it instantly triggers a reaction in the body, which causes the mind _and _body to work together." Chopper reeled off. Luffy looked at him and Chopper let out an aggravated sigh, "Anger equals you trusting yourself."

"Ohhhh! So that's what happened eh?" and Luffy nodded before looking at Zoro, who had his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed, "Zoro?" and the swordsman grunted as a response, "How did you disappear like that!?"

"What?" Zoro asked, a little disbelieving. This kid had just lost a short training session, and here he was asking how Zoro had done it. Okay, maybe it wasn't that strange, but, the tone of voice Luffy had was like the boy was in awe of him. How weird.

"Disappear! You just… were gone! How did you do that?" Luffy asked, a wide smile on his face. Zoro blinked and then frowned.

"Training… I guess." he replied before looking over at Sanji, who shrugged and smiled a little slyly.

"He has nothing better to do with his time." Sanji muttered to Nami, who nodded in return.

"Where did Usopp go?" Chopper suddenly asked. Zoro looked around at him.

"Kaya." he replied. Chopper smiled.

"She's nice!" Luffy called and then remembered what had happened the previous day, and his brows furrowed. The bracelet. Where had that gone? Luffy bit his lip as he thought and the others talked in the background.

He had placed it… next to the computer which he hadn't even attempted looking at yet. Maybe he should have a look at that tonight. Anyway, he was sure that's where the bracelet was.

"Luffy?" Nami asked and the boy jumped and looked up, a large smile appearing on his face.

"Yeah?"

"You okay? You look a little worried."

"Huh? Me? Worried? Nah, I'm just thinkin'." Luffy replied and waved a hand.

"Hmm, rookie? I wonder, would you mind talking to us about it?" Robin asked. Luffy tilted his head and his smile brightened even more, if that was possible.

"Nah. Just thinkin' bout' a dream I had."

"What sort of dream?" Chopper asked. Luffy blinked.

_Aw man. What do I say now? _Luffy thought before shrugging.

"Just a dream."

"When you lot are finished about dreams. Luffy? I want to have a talk with you." Zoro said as the lounge chairs returned to their original state. The others were quiet as they waited and then Zoro sighed, "I meant I wanted to talk to him alone."

"Oh, well, don't get too carried away." Sanji replied in a quirky tone before walking back to the kitchen.

"Be nice Zoro." Chopper commented as he trotted in the opposite direction towards his room. Nami quirked an eyebrow at Zoro and the swordsman frowned.

"Don't be too hard on him Zoro." Robin said in her mysterious voice as the two women exited. Zoro turned and looked at Luffy, who watched him with wide eyes.

"Okay, now, I wanted to talk to you about… what happened the other day." the swordsman replied to the curious glance.

"The bomb thing?"

"No, the mission." and Zoro sighed before a small smile quirked around his lips, "I was a little rough on you. It was your first mission, and you… didn't really mess up. But, you're going to have to be a little more careful now. With whoever it is after you, you're going to have to make sure you take care of yourself."

"Of course! I don't wanna die." Luffy replied and grinned. Zoro shook his head.

"Right. So, no more irrelevant risks."

"Irrele-what?"

"Stupid. Don't be stupid on our next mission, and follow my orders."

"Eh." and then Luffy thought of the bracelet again, "I'm gonna go back to my room." and he made to walk away. Zoro's hand came down hard on his shoulder and Luffy clenched slightly under the touch before he turned around.

"Not so fast. I think it's time you showed me your fighting skills." he said. Luffy pouted.

"If you chose me for this group, then shouldn't you have already seen me fight?"

"Well… uh, I guess. But, you have to show me again. I only saw a sample."

"A sample's enough. See ya!" and the boy bounced from the room. Zoro sighed and walked over to the lounge chairs.

"He's got a lot of spirit…" and then a slow smile spread across his face, "I like that."

---

Luffy lay on his bed, his finger idly tracing the side of the bracelet as he turned it between his hands. It was smooth and cold, but when Luffy touched it, it gained an odd sort of warmth. Like a life about it, and Luffy tilted his head to the side as he looked at it.

"Cursed…" he muttered as he turned it again. He sighed and turned onto his side, "That girl." and he buried his face into his pillow. He really felt as if he had failed her, failed someone. Luffy clenched the bracelet between his fingers and blew a breath into the pillow again. He looked up and across the room at the still closed laptop sitting on his desk.

"Hmm," he muttered before throwing his legs off the edge of the bed and then hurrying over to it and sitting in the soft and comfortable computer chair in front of it. He pressed the button that released the lid and pulled it open.

"Oooo." he muttered before looking around on the keyboard and then finding a little button that was labelled 'power' and he pushed a finger against it. There was a beep and Luffy grinned. This was exciting. He slipped the bracelet into his pocket and watched as the screen lit up. A large word came up, coloured in red and Luffy giggled.

"Hello!" he read and then laughed, "Hello!" he replied to it. The screen changed to that of a symbol. The background was dark blue, with four lines crisscrossing, making a star and leaving eight perfectly sized triangles.

In each triangle was letter, supported by a name. Nami, Robin, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper was spelled out counter clockwise. Luffy knew all those names, but there was one there that he didn't know.

"Kuina…" Luffy muttered and leaned closer to the screen. The name was followed by Zoro's, and then a large and bold lettered Pearl in the last triangle. The logo then disappeared and was replaced with a normal, computer homepage. There was a blank black background and only one icon on the desktop. Luffy frowned and began pressing keys at random.

"How do you work this thing?" he squeaked before warning messages began appearing and then two hands grabbed his and pulled them away.

"Not like that." Robin's mysterious voice floated in through the doorway. Luffy looked down and saw that the arms were coming from the desktop. Robin chuckled as she walked in and leaned down beside him, the hands gently releasing him and Luffy put his hands down again.

"How then?" he asked. Robin shook her head.

"I'll show you." and she began pointing out things on the computer.

---

Zoro lay on the couch in the lounge room. He had his arms locked behind his head and one knee casually bent, his arms pillowing his head on the armrest of the chair. He looked up at the ceiling, for once in his life not really able to sleep. Something was stirring strangely inside him.

"_What's the matter Zoro? Annoyed that I beat you?" _Her voice kept repeating through his head. But, it wasn't just her voice. It was his as well. Zoro's eyes flicked towards the kitchen, and then he turned onto his side.

"Why the hell do I have such a problem with rookie's?" he muttered.

"Because you're a softie." Nami's voice came to him. Zoro closed his eyes in annoyance.

"What are you doing there? I told you to leave." he replied.

"And since when do I listen to you? Need I not remind you, you still owe me three hundred bucks. But, that's not what I'm here for." Nami said and then walked around to the front of the couch and looked down her nose at him.

"I paid you back." Zoro groaned, his usual reaction delayed by his need for sleep.

"Yeah, three months later. You owe me interest." Nami replied.

"WHAT!?" and Zoro jumped up. Nami grinned at him a little evilly.

"As I said though, I'm not looking for it right now. I want to ask something." Nami said. Zoro sighed and let himself fall back into the couch.

"What?" he asked tiredly, rubbing at his eyes.

"Luffy."

"What about him?"

"He seems… distracted."

"So? What do you want me to do about it?"

"Zoro! Stop being so rude." Nami scolded. Zoro sighed.

"Well what do you expect? The damn kid was nearly killed. Twice in one week. How would you react?" Zoro asked in a snappy voice. Nami blinked and then sighed.

"Sorry. Didn't think of that." she replied and they lapsed into silence.

"I'm going to work! Goodbye Nami, Robin and all you other shitheads!" Sanji yelled.

"Cya Sanji!" Nami called and when she turned back, she was met by a sly smile from Zoro. She frowned.

"What?" Nami snapped. Zoro shrugged.

"Nothing." and then he frowned as well, "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to get some sleep." and he closed his eyes and leant back. Nami sighed and turned around, looking towards the window. She paused at what was written there.

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**Well, it wasn't exactly as comedic as i thought it would be. What was written on the window? Mwahahahahaa! I am so ebil. This chapter was a little shorter than my usual length, but, I hope you will forgive me. Please? -nervous smile-**


	8. Protection

**So, is everyone still interested in this story? Hope so. And if you aren't, meh, oh well. XD XP**

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_**Chapter 8: Protection**_

"Zoro!" Nami yelled and ran over to the window. The swordsman groaned.

"What?" he asked.

"Zoro this is serious! Get up!" Nami yelled again. Zoro opened his eyes and stood up, blinking in the light. What he saw made his eyes widen, and his mouth drop open. Written in bright red paint, on the outside of the window, was a message.

The swordsman and head of Pearl hurried over to it, shoving the small coffee table out of the way as he did so. When he reached the window he leant so close to the window, that his breath was fogging onto it. Nami stood behind him and she whispered the words out.

"Your rookie is dead." and Zoro looked at her before shoving her out of the way and sprinting towards the kitchen. He ran straight through and out the other side, before reaching Luffy's door and wrenching it open. There was a loud squeak and Luffy spun around in his chair, Robin sitting on the desk beside him. Zoro heaved a deep breath and let his head fall forward.

"What's wrong swordsman?" Robin asked, her voice barely tainted with worry. Zoro shook his head.

"Are you alright Luffy?" he inquired, not looking up.

"Zoro, move." Nami demanded from behind him. The swordsman let one arm drop to his side and Nami hurried into the room. She moved over to Luffy and laid a hand on his head, her eyes doing a quick search of his body.

"Of course I am!" Luffy responded, a large smile on his face. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he was sure that he needed to act happy and carefree. Nami and Zoro looked worried enough as it was.

"Right." And Zoro looked up, a strange look Luffy didn't recognize flickering in the swordsman's eyes before the head of Pearl straightened and moved into the room to sit on Luffy's bed.

"What's with everyone?" Luffy asked. Robin was studying Zoro with narrowed eyes. Nami scruffed Luffy's hair and then leaned against the desk as well. Robin decided to break the silence when no one replied to Luffy's question.

"I was just teaching rookie how to type. He is getting very good, but his new powers keep causing his fingers to stretch when he is not expecting it." Robin said. Nami smiled and Zoro snorted. Luffy frowned.

"I'm getting there." and that's when his ear decided it would stretch down beside his face. The boy grabbed at it and pushed it back into place again. Nami laughed, Robin gave a light chuckle and Zoro smiled.

"Okay! I'm learning!" Luffy cried, his voice beginning to sound like a little kid's. Zoro shook his head and smiled. The group lapsed into silence and everyone looked at something in the room. Luffy focused on a bug, crawling it's way towards the bed and through the carpet.

_Must seem like a jungle to him. Wonder what it would be like to be a bug? _Luffy thought as he watched. Zoro was watching the floor in front of him, a blank look on his face.

_Damn rookies. Not worth the damn trouble. _He thought bitterly, _Your rookie is dead? He's fine. But… I'll have to keep a close watch on him. _Nami began to hum a song that had been playing on the radio earlier that day.

_Wonder what everyone's thinking? Zoro looks… blank. Luffy looks… interested in that bug. Euch. And Robin looks like she's thinking the same thing I am. _Nami thought as she hummed her song. Nami didn't realize how right she was. Robin was indeed thinking the same thing, though on a deeper level.

_It seems as if rookie and swordsman are both worried, but hiding their feelings. How strange. I wonder what it was that made Nami and Zoro burst in here. Must have been something dramatic. _Robin thought, her eyes wandering the room.

"Nami…?" Robin asked softly. The orange haired girl looked up, her humming stopping abruptly, "I wonder, would you mind joining me for a nice cup of tea?"

"Of course Robin." Nami replied with a smile before waiting for Robin to leave, and then following. Nami closed the door gently behind her and that left Luffy and Zoro alone in the room.

There was silence. It wasn't really… uncomfortable, more like, that weird tingly feeling when you want to talk, but you think you shouldn't. Luffy glanced over at Zoro, who was still focused on that part of the floor, his eyes narrowed and his forehead furrowed.

"So… what made you burst in like that?" Luffy asked. Zoro looked up sharply, his eyes still narrowed harshly and for a moment, Luffy thought his new boss was going to yell at him, but instead, Zoro smiled.

"Just thought I heard something… don't worry." he replied before going silent again, the smile fading from his face as quickly as it had been put there. Luffy tilted his head and stood up from the chair, before moving over to the bed and sitting down beside the swordsman.

Zoro glanced at him but kept his eyes purposely avoided after that. He didn't want to have to look into those big, puppy dog like eyes. Luffy narrowed his eyes at Zoro, who felt a little uneasy under that scrutinizing gaze.

"What?" he finally asked, after a few minutes of silence and staring.

"Nothing." Luffy replied.

"Then why are you staring at me?"

"Not you. Your earrings." Luffy explained in a distracted tone. The boy reached out a hand, two fingers extended and he gently touched the pendants. Zoro jerked away, a strange electricity from Luffy making him jump. Luffy blinked up at him and Zoro put a hand over his ear.

"What about them?" the swordsman asked, a snappy edge to his voice.

"Why?"

"Why… what?"

"Why three?" Luffy asked and gripped the edge of the bed between his outstretched legs. Zoro paused, not really sure how he should answer the question.

Maybe Luffy was being sarcastic and he just wasn't picking it up, or maybe the kid was genuinely interested and as Zoro turned and looked at him, the innocent eyes shone towards him and Zoro realized, this kid wanted to honestly know.

"Well…" he began but paused. He wasn't used to telling people about himself. It was a raw subject.

"Hmm?" Luffy prompted him. Zoro shook his head.

"I'm getting to it." he replied a little grumpy. Once again, he wasn't used to being prompted and pushed into telling someone what they had asked, "I fight with three swords. One earring, for each sword."

"Ohhhh. Cool!" Luffy cried and then bounced on the bed, causing Zoro to bounce as well. The head of Pearl frowned and grabbed Luffy's arm.

"Let's _not _do that." he growled. Luffy blinked.

"Why?" he asked. Zoro paused.

"Because… it's annoying me."

"So? Get off. It's my bed." and Luffy chuckled. Zoro frowned and then snorted.

"Right. Well, Sanji's not here tonight so we'll be going out to a restaurant of some sort." he said as he stood and then pushed his hands into his pockets.

"Where did Sanji go?" Luffy asked, genuine confusion on his face.

"Work. See ya." and he walked out of the room and closed the door again behind him. Luffy pouted slightly. The warmth that he had felt while Zoro had been around… was gone.

---

Zoro paused at the sight of Nami sitting beside Robin at the table, both of them drinking a cup of tea. He raised an eyebrow and then went out into the entrance room. He looked around, searching for the book he wanted.

Spotting the dark blue spine, sitting on a dusty shelf in the corner of the room, he moved over to it and pulled the book out. '_Sword Mastery: Finesse and precision' _the cover read. Zoro flicked through the pages until he found the one he was looking for.

It wasn't the words on the page, or the amount of dust that floated up from the inside cover when he opened the book that made his eyes water. It was the small picture that sat in between the two pages. A girl with dark, blue hair was holding a white handled blade across her chest. She was wearing a plain cream coloured shirt and had a serious look on her face.

"Looking at that again?" a small voice asked and Zoro snapped the book shut.

"Ah… yeah. Just looking up a few techniques." he replied as he turned and saw the small, reindeer doctor watching him. He snapped the book shut and smiled.

"Zoro, you know you're not fooling anyone." Chopper squeaked before scuffing a hoof against the floor. Zoro blinked and then sighed.

"Chopper, just leave it. I'm not going to talk, so don't ask. It will be the same answer I have given you for the last twenty times you asked. Got it?" and Zoro brushed past the doctor. Chopper sighed.

"He's never going to give in." he muttered before looking after the swordsman. He was heading for his room and Chopper shook his head. He knew very well what keeping emotions bottled could do to you.

And Zoro was doing it to himself. Slowly, it would start to eat away, problem was, Chopper was beginning to think it already was.

Zoro sighed as he collapsed onto the couch again. He ran a hand over his face and paused to scratch at his cheek. The words were still written on the window and he groaned slightly. He would have to get rid of that… but he felt so tired.

And lazy. And all he wanted to do was sleep. Luffy would be affected by those words if they were left there. He yawned and got up onto unsteady feet before he made his way towards the window.

"Oh god this sucks." he yawned before pulling the window up, grabbing a few tissues from the box on the side of the TV's bench and then pulling himself out of the window. He was out in a matter of seconds and he pulled the window down again and tried scrubbing at the words.

Nothing happened. Gritting his teeth, Zoro rubbed harder but still couldn't get the damn things off.

"Hmm, what would Nami do?" he muttered to himself and then snorted. Never thought he would see the day when he would be wondering what Nami would do in a situation like this.

Then again… Zoro growled and pulled the window up again before slipping back inside and leaving the window up to make sure Luffy wouldn't suddenly see the words while walking through. The sun was beginning to set and a breeze was blowing through. Zoro ignored it, his body not responding to the change in weather at all. He moved back towards the kitchen and then through to the dinning room.

"Hey, Nami, how do I get those words off?" he gruffed as he walked in. Nami looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"With window cleaner of course." she responded as if he were stupid. Zoro paid no heed to the tone of her voice, and instead decided he would seek out the window cleaner. Now… where would he start?

"Err… Nami?" he asked again. She sighed.

"In the broom cupboard… _boss._" Nami replied sarcastically. Zoro frowned.

"I could dock your pay for that." he growled.

"You can't. You already owe me three months of your own pay." she responded and smiled serenely. Zoro rolled his eyes and walked out. He regretted the day he had ever let her join Pearl. But… without her. The group would have no idea where they were supposed to be. She was the main carer really, he was just a figurehead. Zoro shook his head and bent over to dig in the cupboard.

"Can't find the fucking thing…" he muttered darkly as he squashed a spider and then continued searching. He pushed mops and brooms to the side and got deeper into the closet, crawling under a ledge and searching there. His hand felt around blindly in the darkness and he grabbed the neck of some bottle. That had to be it!

"Zoro?" a voice asked behind him. Zoro jumped, straight up and hit his head on the ledge.

"OW DAMNIT!" he yelled, rubbing furiously at the back of his head as he turned to see who it was. Luffy was standing there, a wide smile on his face and snorting as he tried to hold in his urge to laugh.

"S-sorry." he said, his voice quavering with laughter.

"Oh, go ahead. Laugh." Zoro growled sarcastically as he rubbed at his head some more.

"Ok!" and the boy burst into outright laughter. Zoro frowned.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked angrily as he crawled out again, window cleaner in hand. Luffy twiddled his thumbs nervously and looked around.

"Well, I just wanted to ask something." he replied. Zoro frowned and crossed his arms.

"What?" he sighed. Luffy looked at his hand and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Why are you cleaning the windows?" he asked.

"Cos' I feel like it. Anything else?"

"Uh, I wanted to ask who Kuina was." Luffy asked. Zoro stiffened. He inspected Luffy with his eyes, looking the boy up and down for any type of deception. All there was to find though, was innocence, and a pure curiosity.

"Where did you find out about Kuina?" he asked, wondering where he had gone wrong in covering up her tracks. All her belongings were locked in a safe that was behind the bookshelf in the entrance room, her room had been repainted, and refurbished and was now Luffy's room, and her sword. It now lay at Zoro's hip. Her picture had been hidden in only a book he would read. A book forbidden to all but him. And her memory. It lingered in all of them. So, where had he gone wrong?

"Well, when I turned on my computer, there was this screen. And it had Nami, Robin, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, Kuina, Zoro and then Pearl." Luffy replied. Zoro blinked and then his eyes narrowed. Damn, Usopp hadn't removed her name from the logos yet. He would have to talk to the kid when he came home.

_Bloody hell Usopp. You always give me reason to get angry at you. _Zoro growled inside his head. Luffy was watching him, his large deep eyes blinking slowly as if trying to read his mind. And Zoro almost got the feeling that Luffy _could. _But, he knew very well that no one had that power. Well, no one he had heard of.

"Oh, that was nothing." he replied and laughed nervously, trying to shake off the question. Luffy wasn't so easily shaken off of the subject though. He continued to watch Zoro until he sighed.

"You're lying. I can always tell when people are lying." he said, his voice lightly tinged with anger. He crossed his arms and let his eyes narrow into a slight glare. Zoro felt unreasonably uncomfortable under that gaze, and he averted his own eyes.

"She was just one of the members before you came." he replied. Luffy nodded.

"What happened to her?" he asked. Zoro cursed silently. He had hoped Luffy would leave it at that. Apparently not.

"Well… she died." he responded, still not meeting Luffy's gaze. The newest member of Pearl, blinked up at him, his eyes now saddened, and slightly worried.

"How?"

"Oh damnit Luffy! Why do you have to ask so many questions!?" Zoro growled, turning away and moving towards the lounge, the cleaner and the words forgotten. Luffy tailed after him.

"Because, I wanna know what happened!" Luffy replied in a hurt voice, "If she was a member, and now I am a member, I have a right to know! Come on Zoro!" and the swordsman spun around so fast, and so suddenly that Luffy walked straight into him and fell backwards, landing on his butt on the floor. Zoro gazed down at him with dark, cold eyes.

"You wanna know what happened. She was killed on a mission. _I _lost my cool and my command, and she died." he said in a lifeless voice. Luffy stared up at him, his butt throbbing but he took no notice.

"How do you know it was your fault?" he asked in a very soft voice. Zoro blinked down at him.

"You wouldn't know. You've been here barely a week, and already you're in everyone's business. Why don't you go back to Nami and cry your eyes out to her." he growled, turning away. His shoulders were tense and his hand was squeezing the neck of the bottle so tightly, that the plastic was beginning to warp. Luffy frowned.

"I'm not crying!" he replied defiantly as he stood. Zoro snorted, and gave him a sarcastic smile.

"Not yet. Everyone cries once in a while." he replied and continued towards the lounge again. Luffy frowned harder.

"Why are you being such a… such a… bastard!" he shouted and then blinked, surprised at his own outburst. Zoro sighed.

"Because I have to be." he replied and was gone. Luffy clenched his fists by his side and his lips twisted into a snarl. This was unfair. Zoro was cool, Zoro _had _been nice. Everyone at Pearl was nice. And now, Zoro was being a bastard to him. What the hell was up with that!? He didn't deserve to be treated like he didn't matter! He was a member of this group damnit, even if he had only been on one mission so far!

But still… Luffy stormed towards the lounge and walked into it… and stopped. His eyes widened as they came to rest on the window and the words written in red. He blinked and Zoro, who was on the other side of the window, glared back at him. Luffy's breathing suddenly caught in his throat and he turned and ran from the room.

"See what happens!" Zoro barked from the other side of the window, and Luffy heard him. He ran past Nami and Robin, who both squeaked at his sudden appearance, and then he ran out into the entrance room where he slammed into the door, grabbed the handle, wrenched it open and sprinted out into the night. He barely missed Usopp, who was walking back with a dreamy expression on his face and lipstick on his lips. The long nose blinked after him as Luffy ran… and then sighed.

"What has Zoro done now?" he muttered as he turned around and headed straight back the way he had just come.

---

Zoro let his head fall forward and rest on the window. Why had he said that? Why had he said any of those things? It wasn't… fair. That was the word he had used so many times after Kuina had died. That was right, it wasn't fair on Luffy. What he had just done had been cruel. The house shook as the front door slammed and Zoro winced. Luffy had apparently run off. Robin ran into the room and he didn't even bother to look at her. He already knew what she was going to ask.

"He saw the words." he said simply before pulling up the window and slipping back into the room.

"What did you do to Luffy?" Robin asked softly.

"I just told you. He saw the words." Zoro replied as he shut the window again, after setting his feet back down on the carpet once more.

"I know that. But, I don't think he would have freaked like that, simply because he saw those words. There had to be something before that." Robin said and Zoro knew she was referring to what he had did. She had ears everywhere… and it was just his luck that the sly bitch had had an ear on him when he had said those things to Luffy.

Nami stormed into the room and Zoro didn't see her come up to him, as he stared at the floor. Nami walked right over, and raised her hand… before slapping Zoro across the face with it. The swordsman looked up with both shock, and anger. She reached her hand back again and Zoro held up his own, grabbing her wrist before she could do anymore.

"How could you say such things to him?" she asked, her voice shaking with anger. So Nami had obviously been listening as well. Robin was looking away and Zoro could clearly see she was trying to reserve her own anger.

"I don't know. All I know is, you have no right to talk to me that way." Zoro growled back, his eyes dark. Nami's bottom lip shook and she glared up at him.

"No. I don't. But it doesn't mean I am going to be completely silent." and she lifted a leg and kicked him straight between the legs. Zoro gasped and let her go and Nami stepped back as the swordsman bent over double.

"Bastard." she muttered one last time before walking out again. Robin followed her with one last parting look at Zoro. The head of Pearl felt his eyes begin to prickle with tears, and the pain in the back of his throat as he tried to hold them back. He had to find Luffy. He had to apologise. Because the way things were going, Luffy was going to need all the protection he could get. And outside, thunder rumbled.

--------------------------------------------------------

**Oh the drama! -faints- Well now, Luffy's run off. Kuina's story has been half revealed, and we still have a long way to go yet. Argh, I don't know who to feel sorry for! Luffy has to deal with being a rookie, and possibly being a target of a fearsome... errr, not gonna reveal that fact yet! Ahahaha, you thought you had me then, didn't you? -grins evilly- Not that easy! Or, I feel sorry for Zoro. After all, it was his fault Kuina died. Was it? **

**Reviews please! It's the little button in the corner, and if you don't press it and type something in the window that pops up, evil monkeys of doom, will rain down on your house, and destroy your furniture. Mwahahaha! -shifty eyes- **


	9. Break in

**Okay, so after that rather... interesting last chapter. I present to you another rather... interesting chapter! XD**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------**

_**Chapter 9 : Thunder and Rain are tears unleashed**_

Luffy ran in the rain, lightning flashing around him. Damn, it rained here a lot. He stumbled as his sandal caught in the drain of a pathway. The strap over his foot broke, and Luffy sprawled forward onto the pavement. Apparently, his rubber powers had decided to take leave of his body right now, and he was seriously beginning to ache from all the running and tripping he had done. The boy just lay as the rain pummelled down on his body, like icicles falling from the sky, and seemingly piercing his skin like little needles.

But Luffy took no notice. He just wanted to get away from that place. Away from those words. And away from Zoro. Slowly, he drew himself up again. It was dark, and the lights were out. The power must have been disconnected by the lightning. He wrapped his arms around himself, and looked around at the dark shops. Somehow, he had found himself back at the front of the centre where the explosion had happened. Lightning flashed behind him, and thunder cracked so loudly that Luffy put his hands over his ears until it had passed.

The centre was dark, and the shop fronts were closed. Protected by bars, and obvious security devices. Little red lights blinked at him from the boxes inside the darkness. So easy to see. He suddenly felt a yearning to go in there and find that music store again. Luffy looked up above him as thunder rumbled again.

There was a ledge to his left, and if he jumped… he would be able to reach it. Moving over, he stood just underneath it and then crouched low, and propelled himself upwards. His fingers scrabbled against the stone and he fell back to the ground again. Luffy puffed out a deep breath as he stood again and crouched.

_I can make it…_ he thought and encouraged himself. He flung himself upwards and grabbed on, his strong and nimble fingers latching onto the stone as easily as if it was a ladder rung. Luffy flicked his legs forward and then back, forward and then back, his body becoming bendy and easy to move.

His eyes focused on the air above him, the place where he wished to go, before he swung his legs up, planted his feet on the underneath of the ledge and then pushed off so hard that he swung back around and his body curved upwards in a graceful arc. Luffy twisted in mid air and his feet came down easily on the ledge, hands still holding tight to the stone.

"Woohoo!" he cried as he stood up. Lightning crackled over him and he ducked down instinctively, "Oh, lightning's cool. But, not so cool when it's frying you." and he hurried across the ledge and looked up at the roof. How was he going to get in there now? The glass was easily broken, but, alarms and everything were everywhere.

His feet would have barely touched the shining, checker patterned linoleum before police were arresting him. Luffy's lips twisted as he looked around and then his eyes came to rest on a small trapdoor on the roof right beside him. The second half of the centre.

Luffy waited for the next crackle of lightning to pass before he ran straight across the ledge which was barely wider than Usopp's nose, before he leaped over onto the next building like a cat. He bent down low and inspected the trapdoor. It was hard to see in the darkness, but the next flash of lightning revealed a small handle which Luffy latched onto. He grinned as he turned it… and it stopped.

"Locked?!" Luffy whined and he sat back on his heels, "Meanies." and the next flash of lightning revealed that the latch in fact went the other way, "Ooooooh!" and Luffy twisted it, the catch coming loose and then the door swung upwards. He grinned as he looked down. It was dark, it was dangerous… and man did he feel like a Ninja! Lowering his feet into the hole, he silently slid down through a tube, the door slamming shut above him.

"Whoo!" he cried as the wind rushed past him, blowing through his hair and making him grin. This was so cool! All thoughts of his fight with Zoro, and the words, were gone as he whooshed down the tunnel. Finally, an end was in sight and Luffy slid out and down, straight into the ruined Music store. So _that's _why it was unlocked. There was no point locking something that was destroyed anyway.

Who would want knarled and twisted CD cases, blackened CD's and a burnt out store? Seriously. Luffy rubbed his butt, which was getting a hard beating tonight, and stood up. He looked around the store. It was so damn dark! He blinked, trying to get used to it, but his eyes refused to adjust to the darkness and Luffy was left groping blindly as he tried to find his way through the burnt out shelves and towards the back of the shop.

He knew that if he found something back there, it was probably going to be gross and charred, but… he had to find out. Had to see if she was dead. After all, if Zoro had caused a death, than Luffy was sure he had caused one too. Whoever it was who had set that bomb, was after him. Innocent people had been hurt… innocent people had been killed.

Luffy's stomach hit a hard surface and he paused a moment, a hand coming down to wipe across melted, and warped plastic. Ashes moved under his hands and Luffy frowned in the darkness before feeling his way to the edge of the counter and walking around it. His foot hit something and it gave a loud ting.

One of the cash registers had fallen to the floor, it's bell about the only thing that still worked. Luffy lifted up a foot and took a long step, going over it. Once again, his hands were out, running over the burnt out behind the counter shelves as he guided himself towards the door that led out the back of the store. He found a small ledged, and his hand brushed open air.

"Aha." he murmured before turning the corner and then tripping over another cash register. His shin suddenly felt like it was on fire, and he could feel something warm begin trickling down his leg. But he ignored it in favour of the device that was sitting in front of his nose. It smelled horrible, and Luffy hesitated to touch it.

Slowly, his hand came up and he placed his palm down gently on it… and sighed. It didn't feel like charred bone, and it didn't feel like charred flesh. It was plastic and twisted and felt reasonably intact. Luffy's fingers found something on the side, and he pressed down on it.

"Help," a small voice called and Luffy started. That was the voice he had heard! "Help," it just kept replaying over and over again. Luffy felt relief, anger and confusion run through him all at once. Relief that it hadn't been a real person who had been back here, crying out to him. It was in fact just a tape recorder. Anger that someone had planted it here and nearly killed him, not to mention whoever it was had hurt Robin at the same time.

And confusion as to why someone would plant a device here, blow up a music store… and then let him escape. What was the point in that? All that trouble! Luffy picked up the device, pressing a button that stopped the tape before shoving it into his pocket. He slowly began to push himself to his feet and felt his shin explode with pain.

"Owie…" he mumbled before trying again, "Nnnh! I can't get up! Ah, Zoro's gonna be so mad." and he tried to move again, but he couldn't! Luffy rolled onto his back and felt something collide with the back of his head.

"Aw damn! Why am I getting beat up tonight? What the hell'd I do?" he grouched as he scrabbled a hand against the floor, trying to find it. Finally, his fingers brushed a cylindrical device. A torch! Luffy grinned. He did indeed have good luck. Running a hand down the side of the device, he found a small button and pushed, praying that a cone of light would fill the area.

Maybe his luck wasn't as good as he had thought. It worked, but at times it would flicker and the light itself was rather weak and yellow. It had obviously been damaged badly in the fire. He sat up and shone the light towards his shin as he pulled up his trouser leg. Blood smeared across the thin leg as he looked at it.

"Blergh." Luffy muttered as he inspected the large cut that ran up it, "How the hell?" and he shone the torch across the room. In the dim light he could see the cash register… and he could see the sharp corner of the tray, which was sitting point up. That had to be it! Luffy hissed as he gently poked at the side of it.

"Not good." he muttered. Around the cut was a large raised area, which was tinted with the faintest hint of blue. It was obviously bruising already, and from the looks of it, it would be a bad one too. He shone the light away from his leg, pulling down his trouser leg again as he did so.

"What else is around here?" he muttered as he shone the light towards the back room. The light lit up a narrow hallway that vanished into darkness and Luffy hummed in thought. He certainly couldn't get back out through the roof. He would have to find an alternate route. Maybe there was a door back here that led out into a warehouse, or the outside.

It was worth a shot. Luffy shone the torch around one last time and then flicked it off, the room going black again as his eyes saw stars from the light of the torch. Moving slowly, Luffy bent his knee and shuffled his arms forward. He placed his palms against the ground, and pushed up so his stomach was parallel with the ceiling.

"Luffy crab!" he said and then giggled before using his good leg and his stomach muscles, to push himself upwards. Luffy swayed, regaining his balance as he stood still for a few minutes to get his bearings. He flicked the torch on again and shone it towards the narrow hallway and he turned.

Luffy limped down the hallway, one arm outstretched and pressed against the wall so he could keep himself steady. The torch became dimmer with each few steps and Luffy gave the thing a shake to try and get some more power out of it, but that only served to make the battery die completely, and he was left in darkness once again.

"Oh damn." he muttered, shaking the torch again, "Stupid thing." and he threw it against the wall. Light shone brightly through the hallway and Luffy raised an eyebrow as he picked up the now brightly shining torch.

"Of course." and he continued again, "If in doubt, throw it against a wall!" and he grinned at his own joke. Luffy turned a corner and saw a door just ahead and he could almost smell the wet outside. The sound of the rain couldn't be heard deep inside the centre, but now he was getting closer to the exit, he could hear it beating lightly against the wall outside.

Luffy grabbed the doorknob, and sighed when the door opened without any alarms, and any locks. How lucky had he been tonight? Luffy limped out into the alley and then paused as a woman stepped in front of him, her blue frizzy hair almost making her look like she had an afro. Even the rain couldn't tame the wild hair, and her skinny, lithe body made Luffy step back. She was dangerous, he could tell it just by looking at her.

She was wearing a pair of tight black leather pants and a black, see-through blouse. Lightning lit up the gun she was holding towards the sky, and Luffy braced himself. He wasn't afraid of anything! She stopped, one hand on her hip, and the other still holding the gun upwards. Her chest was stuck out in confidence, and her body was tilted to one side. Sanji would have gone wild if he had seen this girl. Lightning lit up her features and Luffy noticed that she was smiling.

"Hello there…" she said in a sugary sweet voice that would have sounded better if it had of been bitter and angry. Luffy threw his chin out and stood tall, ignoring the pain that shot through his injured leg. The woman laughed.

"I see. You're defiant. Don't worry, this gun is merely… insurance." she said, and still Luffy wouldn't talk, "Well, this is a wonderful conversation. Aren't you going to say anything? Ask who I am? What I want with you? Whether I have any messages? C'mon kid, you seriously need to get with the program." and she chuckled. Luffy just stared at her, and finally conceded to ask her what her name was. She laughed again after he had asked his question.

"Miss New Years Eve, is my name. You need not know anymore than that. But, the point of my visit to you on this wonderful night? Well, my boss sends a message to you, and the rest of those Pearl rats. He says, Watch your back, because if you don't, crocodiles will be chewing on it." and she laughed. Luffy frowned. He didn't see what was so funny about that. He didn't want crocodiles chewing on _his _back.

"Is that it?" Luffy asked. Miss New Years Eve raised an eyebrow.

"No. There's more. Tell that green headed moron… that he'll fail this time, just as he failed last time. Make sure these messages get to the Pearl headquarters, or we'll know. And then we'll come and deliver the message ourselves…" and she turned away, her hips swaying as she placed one foot directly in front of the other.

Like she was preparing to walk a tightrope, before she disappeared into the night. Luffy blinked the water out of his eyes and shone the torch around, making sure no more weirdoes were going to pop out and tell him about crocodiles, and failure. He had no clue what the hell those sentences had meant. And who the heck would name their kid Miss New Years Eve? That was just weird.

"Hey!" a familiar voice called and Luffy turned to see Usopp running towards him, his curly hair straightened and straggled by the rain. He paused beside Luffy and looked around suspiciously.

"Who was that woman?" he asked. Luffy blinked.

"You saw her?"

"Mhm. Who was she? Did she tell you her name?"

"Yeah. Miss New Years Eve." Luffy replied, "And she told me to tell Zoro something."

"What?"

"…I forget."

"Luffyyy! That could have been important!" Usopp whined and pressed a hand against his forehead.

"Well, I'm sorry! I'm sure I'll remember later though!" Luffy said, brightening slightly. Usopp shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. C'mon. Let's get out of this rain and storm. Sanji's already gone home cos' the Baratie got shut down by the violent weather." Usopp explained.

"Oh. How do you know that?"

"Well, I went and had a look there to see if that's where you- err, Youstoob, the magician went." Usopp replied, quickly changing what he was going to say. He didn't want Luffy to know he had been looking for him. It would only complicate things. Luffy blinked and then grinned.

"A magician! Really?" he squeaked excitedly. Usopp smiled, amused by his new friend's reaction.

"Uh yeah. I'll tell you about it once we get home. K?" he asked. Luffy nodded vigorously before he began limping after the marksman. Usopp paused and looked back at Luffy.

"Hey, are you okay? What happened?"

"Err, I hurt my leg. It's nothing." Luffy replied, as he concentrated on getting that leg to step forward another few centimetres. It was really hurting! But he wasn't going to tell, or show Usopp that. He was tough. He was capable. And he could handle it.

---

Zoro scratched at the paper on the desk he was sitting at, in the corner of his room. He was trying to think of a good way to write a letter to Luffy's school. He hadn't gotten Luffy un-enrolled as of yet and he needed to do that so Luffy could be a part of the organization without any hitches.

Normally, he would get Robin or Nami to do this, but, they were still angry at him for treating Luffy the way he had. Zoro tapped the end of the pen against his teeth and leaned back in his chair and scratched a few strokes onto the paper. He leaned forward and saw that he had written an M.

_Monkey D Luffy. Seriously, what kind of a name is that? _Zoro thought as he frowned at the M and scribbled it out. He wasn't going to let that damn kid get to him. He began writing.

_Dear Sir/Madam,_

_Monkey D Luffy has been called away to live in a different country on short notice. His brother needs him. _

And Zoro had to stop there. He didn't like doing this. He kept imagining Luffy's angry face, and then the way the boy's eyes had widened when he had seen the words. That moment, when Zoro had realized Luffy had seen those words. That horrible place in time. He really didn't want to keep reliving it.

The pen seemed to automatically move to Luffy's name, and began scratching at the letters, marking the name deeper and deeper into the paper, until it was boldened, and so thick that the letters almost blurred together. Zoro sighed and instead began drawing random lines across the page. Long, straight strokes of blue ink. Like the slice of a sword.

"_C'mon Zoro! Fight!" _Her voice echoed through his head again, and Zoro dropped the pen down on the paper, and rested his head on his hands.

"Fucking hell! How the hell did that get there!?" Sanji's voice was barely heard and Zoro sighed. The chef must have gotten home from work early because of the power outage. Pearl had it's own generator and didn't rely on the power that everyone else did. And apparently, Sanji had seen the words. Those damned words! He had scrubbed for what seemed like ages, trying to get them off. They had just not wanted to move.

So he had given up and come in here to try and do his work. What a great success that had been. Balls of paper littered the floor, all with the same name scratched across it. Luffy, Luffy, Luffy Luffy Luffy! He had written the name all over at least five pages of paper. Not to mention, he had written three with Kuina across it as well. His mind was just not willing to co-operate with it's master. Zoro grabbed the paper and crumpled it up, before throwing it over his shoulder and onto the floor where it bounced and joined it's fellow crumpled bits of paper.

He pulled out another blank piece and brushed a hand across it, flattening it unnecessarily. It was already as flat as it was going to get. Picking up a black pen, instead of a blue this time, he began writing something else. Not the letter, but a diary. If he couldn't express it to someone, he was going to write it down… and then burn it so no one would ever find it again. Heh, that would work!

"Oh my god! Luffy!" Nami's voice squealed and Zoro stood up so fast, that his chair fell backwards with a clunk. Zoro didn't bother to correct it as he hurried to the doorway and peeked out. He could see Luffy sitting on a chair in the lounge room. Sanji was standing over the boy who looked as though he were soaked right down to the bone.

"Is Z-zoro still h-here?" Luffy asked, his teeth chattering from the cold.

"Yeah unfortunately. He's in his damn room. Brooding. Sleeping. Who knows with old shithead." Sanji replied. Zoro frowned.

"I n-need to s-see him." Luffy chattered. Zoro was seriously tempted to go out there and find out what Luffy wanted, but, that would seem like he had been listening on what they had been saying. So he walked back over to his desk and sat down. There was the thump of Sanji's even and precise steps and Zoro flipped the page he had begun writing on, over.

Sanji shoved the door open and stood in the doorway, his body expressing distaste, disgust, and annoyance all in one rake like package. He had obviously heard about Zoro's little outburst with Luffy… and he obviously hadn't liked it any more than Nami had. Which, was typical really.

"Oi, fuck head. For some reason unbeknownst to me, Luffy wants to see you. Probably wants to punch your lights out, and if he does, I'll be glad to hold you for him." Sanji commented, taking his cig from his mouth. Zoro frowned.

"Whatever. You couldn't hold a toothpick you stupid bastard." Zoro responded. Sanji frowned and put the cig back in his mouth before drawing one of his large, and spindly hands from his pocket. He pointed a finger at Zoro and walked further into the room, one leg reaching out behind him to shut the door.

"Listen, I heard about what you said to Luffy. I thought you were a moron before, but now I see, you're a _fucking _moron. Can't you see that damn kid adores you? You're his goddamn idol. I have no idea why! I have no idea how, but you are and if you repeat what you told him tonight, then I'm going to kick your ass out of this place, and personally rip those earrings from your pansy ass ears so you can't get back in. Got it?" the chef threatened, now so close to Zoro that the swordsman was almost suffocating from the smoke.

"Right." Zoro responded, conceding to Sanji's threat. The chef leaned back and walked away towards the door.

"By the way, Kuina's death was not your fault." and the chef was gone. Zoro blinked after him and shook his head. Sometimes, even Sanji acted like a normal human being. _Sometimes…_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**Well, sorry to cut it off there, but, it was getting way too long for one of my normal chapters. But, I hope it wasn't too short either. Don't worry though, I am trying to keep the chapters long but not excruciatingly long either. So, they can be easily read! Aren't I just too nice? -gets hit by a rotten tomato- oh that's just great. Just throw rotten things at me! Geeze... **

**Reviews really would be greatly appreciated! I am not just saying that, I really do read them, and if you review, I will most likely reply to you. So, yeah, review! -grin-**


	10. Brekky embarrasment

**Squee! I love this chappie sooooooo much! -huggles it and kisses it and loves it to death- Read, read, read!**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------**

_**Chapter 10 : Brekkie embarrassment**_

Zoro walked out into the kitchen to see Luffy's leg being bandaged by Chopper, who was fussing and saying that he didn't understand how Luffy's powers could just leave him and come back as they pleased. It was a strange coincidence in his opinion. Luffy was nodding, but it was clear the boy had no idea what was being said.

His mind was on something else entirely and as Zoro walked in, scowl set firmly in place, Luffy looked up. The boy grinned and then his smile faltered at the look on the swordsman's face, and he quickly averted his eyes. Luffy didn't want to see the harshness in Zoro's eyes like he had earlier that night. Chopper finished doing up the bandage and stepped back.

"That should do. Now, we'll have to find something for that chill." and he hurried off. Luffy watched the reindeer go.

"Well?" Zoro growled. Luffy twitched in his seat and drew the blanket that was around his shoulders, closer.

"I met up with a woman out in the street. She said her name was Miss New Years Eve. She told me to deliver two messages." Luffy replied, still not meeting Zoro's eyes. The head of Pearl blinked.

"Miss New Years…? But she's…" and he trailed off, looking up at Sanji, who shrugged.

"Let him finish." Nami said from the other side of the table. She didn't seem angry at him now, but there was a cold edge to her voice as she spoke to him, "There's more Luffy has to say, so hush."

"The first message was that we should watch our backs, because if we don't, then crocodiles will be chewing on it." and he looked up, finally meeting Zoro's eyes, "What does that mean? There aren't any crocodiles around here."

"Oh yes there is. One big one." Sanji replied, "He's also known as Mr Zero."

"Shut up Sanji." Zoro muttered. The chef frowned.

"You shut up moron." he growled. Zoro looked up at him and Sanji sighed, "Yeah, fine, whatever."

"Go on Luffy." Robin urged, her face a little pale. She seemed very interested in what Luffy had to say, even if she had heard it already.

"Her second message is for Zoro from her boss, she said that you'll fail this time, just like you failed last time." Luffy related, "That's all. She left after that." Usopp moved out of the kitchen, a mug in his hands.

"Were you using my kitchen?" Sanji growled, half joking. Usopp frowned.

"It's for Luffy!" he replied. Sanji waved a hand in the air.

"I had better go check and make sure he hasn't destroyed my toaster."

"I made a cup of hot chocolate!" Usopp defended.

"I know." Sanji replied as he walked into the kitchen. Usopp steamed. Zoro had his hand on his chin, and was deep in thought.

"Are you sure she didn't say anything else?" Robin asked softly, a note of urgency in her voice. Zoro looked up at her sharply.

"No, nothing. Oh, she told me to ask her questions, and that I needed to get with the program." Luffy replied. Robin waved a hand in the air, signalling that that was unimportant. She leaned back in her chair and bit her bottom lip as her blue eyes flicked back and forth. Something was bothering her.

"Anything else?" Zoro asked, trying to keep the harshness in his voice to a minimum. Luffy blinked and then his mouth twisted.

"I don't know if you'd care about this, but, I found something tonight." he replied, pulling out a blackened tape recorder from his pocket. It was twisted, but the compartment where the tape was, was fully intact. Luffy had to force the rewind button down because it was half melted, and then he flicked the stop before playing it.

"That was what I heard, and why I didn't come out of the store when you told me to." Luffy explained as the voice cried out 'help' over and over again. A hand sprouted from the table top and pressed the stop button, before it took it and moved it around. Robin was inspecting the device. She gave a small 'hmm' before putting it down again. The arm vanished in a flurry of cherry blossoms that settled on the table before disappearing.

"Tell me rookie, how did you acquire this?" she asked coolly.

"I broke in and stole it!" Luffy announced, rather proud of himself. Zoro choked.

"You stole it?" Usopp asked, incredulous. Luffy nodded and grinned around the table.

"You can't do that ever again? Understand?" Zoro cautioned, "If someone had of seen you and arrested you… Luffy, if you get caught. We can't help. We are unable to do anything to release you, even bail. It is a condition of our job. And if we can't do anything to free you, then, you would be out of the group." Luffy blinked, astonished as his jaw dropped open. The room was quiet when Sanji walked back in.

"Was the toaster destroyed?" Usopp asked sarcastically, trying to break up the tension. Sanji shook his head.

"No, but you left the stove on."

"I didn't use the stove!" and Sanji chuckled. Usopp glared at the chef before standing up from the table.

"I'm going to my room. Knock twice and stay out!" he growled before walking away. Sanji blinked.

"What's bugging him? I mean besides me. He knows better than to take me seriously." the chef said, looking over at Nami.

"How the hell should I know? I'm not his mother." she said, inspecting her nails.

"Of course not! How could you be? You're too beautiful!" Sanji cried, wriggling around like a worm. Zoro threw him a disgusted look before looking at Luffy. He sighed and asked the question he had been wanting to ask ever since Luffy slammed that door.

"Are you okay?" and Luffy looked up at him as though he were seeing someone totally different. He smiled.

"Yep! Monkey D Luffy is always okay!" he announced and grinned. Zoro had to smile at that. Robin and Nami smiled and Sanji snorted.

"Who wants dinner?" he asked, looking around.

"ME!" Luffy screeched. Sanji grinned. At least someone was enthusiastic about his cooking.

"What do you want?"

"Anything with meat!"

"Meat? Right." and he turned towards the kitchen, undoing the buttons on the front of his jacket as he did so, "What a waste of my talent."

"Stop grouching!" Zoro called, feeling a little better now he had asked Luffy that question, and had received a positive response. In fact, just having Luffy sit there in front of him, grinning and bouncing in his seat eagerly as he waited for his meat, was a fantastic sight.

---

Zoro heard a ringing and reached out a hand sleepily to bat the alarm clock across the room like he did every morning. But after he heard that satisfying 'crunch' that told him he needed another new alarm clock, the ringing continued.

"Urgh…" he muttered as he sat up, one eye half open while the other was still shut. The phone… Oh the damn phone was ringing. Hang on, the phone… was ringing! Zoro leapt out of the bed and ran over to it, stumbling over his baggy pyjama pants and nearly falling flat on his face.

"Hel-hello?" he asked and yawned as he listened to the voice on the other end, "Red diamonds eh? That sounds… exceedingly boring… uh huh. Uh huh." and he yawned again as he scratched at his naked stomach, "Yeah, whatever. If it's dangerous, we'll take it. Yeah, thanks. As always, it's a fantastic pleasure talking to you." and he hung up,

"Damn moron. Had no idea what he was talking about." and he yawned again before looking around and finding his clock lying in a corner of the room. He moved over and picked it up, flipping it over and looking at the smashed in face, "Gah! It's friggin' five thirty in the goddamn morning!" and he yawned, "No wonder I'm tired. Oh for fuck's sake. Sometimes, I really hate this job." and he opened his door and wandered out of the room and into the corridor. He went to Sanji's door first, and slammed a hand against it.

"Oi, Sanji! Get up ya lazy cook!" and he stepped out of the way as Sanji burst out, his hair frizzed and his visible eye half shut and groggy.

"You fucking moron! It's bloody five thirty in the morning." Sanji growled, the pinstriped pyjama's he was wearing making Zoro snigger.

"We have a mission. We are to be on the case by seven. We need breakfast." Zoro explained as he walked off. Sanji groaned and Zoro distinctly heard Sanji say something about needing a new pack of cigs. He shook his head. It was a wonder he tolerated smoking in this house. It was so unhealthy. He decided he would go and wake up Usopp and Nami next. Those two would have to bring up maps and get the gadgets ready for the day. He moved to Usopp's door and slapped a hand against it.

"C'mon Usopp! We have a mission today!" he called. He glanced over, and decided that Chopper's door would be easier to go to next. So he did so after hearing Usopp sleepily say that he had no-morning-missions-itis. In other words, Usopp was up. He gently knocked on Chopper's door.

"Yes!" the little reindeer's cheery voice returned. He had obviously been up for a while already.

"We have to get ready for a mission at seven." Zoro called.

"Okay!" BANG! "Oh darn."

"You okay?" Zoro asked.

"Mmm, my fur is now green."

"Wash it out! I'm the only dude around here with a green do." Zoro replied jokingly as he walked off. Chopper gave a small, squeaky giggle and hurried into his personal bathroom. Zoro went to Nami's door and had the courtesy to at least whack his hand a little softer against it than he had against Sanji's. The chef was already in the kitchen, cooking up breakfast and dressed in a perfect black suit. Sanji called it his fighting suit. Really, Zoro couldn't see the difference between it and the ones he usually wore. Zoro then went to Robin's door.

"I am already up swordsman." she called softly and tiredly. Zoro frowned. She shouldn't have been up this early. As mysterious, and untrustworthy as Zoro thought she was, Robin was never up any earlier than six.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I appreciate your concern, but, I am fine. Thankyou." she replied. Zoro shrugged.

"Whatever." he replied before moving towards Luffy's door. He hesitated before knocking on it, and then did so very softly.

"Luffy?" he called. There was no response.

"We have a mission. Are you coming? Is your leg okay?" he asked, his voice tainted with concern.

"Oh sure, when I broke my arm I still had to go on missions, but when Luffy gets a cut, he gets to stay home!" Usopp grouched as he walked past. Zoro glared at him and the marksman jumped quickly through the door and into the entrance room to find the atlas for Nami. Zoro looked back at Luffy's door, and then knocked again.

"Hey, are you awake even?" he asked. Once again, there was no response. Zoro raised an eyebrow and became a little suspicious. He took the doorknob and rolled it between his fingers, opening the door ever so slightly so he could peek in.

"No raping in this house!" Sanji called, poking his head out of the kitchen. Zoro spun around and glared at him, an unnecessary blush rising in his neck and cheeks.

"Fuck you!" he returned.

"Rather not!" Sanji called, going back to his kitchen again. Zoro growled as he opened the door and found Luffy's bed was empty. He blinked down at it.

"Hey, Luffy?" he called. Luffy's head popped out of the bathroom, his hair sopping wet and water running down his face.

"Wha?" he asked. Zoro blinked.

"I, uh, didn't think you were awake… so… err…" and the words that were forming in his head, were getting turned upsy daisy, and back to front before they even reached his tongue.

"Hey, what are you doing in my room?" Luffy asked, poking his head out a little further, so he was showing one half of his chest. Zoro was mesmerised by the tanned tone of it and the way the drops of water glistened as Luffy blinked at him.

"I… uh…" but Zoro just couldn't put two words together.

_He… was having a shower. And he's staring at me! Say something you moron! It's only Luffy! Oh come on, just because he's naked… behind that door… _Zoro thought and once again found himself lost for words. Luffy sighed.

"What's the matter with you? Are you like, drunk or something? Your face is all red." he asked. Zoro blinked and then shook his head, his pendants clinking in his ear.

"We have a mission. Sanji's making breakfast so hurry up." and he marched stiffly out of the room and closed the door. Luffy blinked at the closed door and then walked out of the bathroom, his pyjama pants sitting loosely at his hips.

"What the hell was wrong with him?" he asked as he walked over to his cupboard and pulled out some of the clothes Nami had given him of Usopp's, Sanji's and Zoro's. She had even given him some of her larger shirts that weren't too tight, but fit snugly around him and showed off his abs. But Luffy's favourite was a long sleeved, dark red shirt of Zoro's.

And a pair of Usopp's old faded blue jeans, which he had rolled up into shorts. Grabbing a comb he ran it through his fringe and a bit at the back, once on the left and he didn't even bother with the right side. What was the point? His hair was untameable. Grabbing his old straw hat from the bedside table, he threw it onto his head and then walked out of the room, feeling quite happy.

"Breakfast!" Sanji called. Luffy was then made twice as happy. He bolted for the table, and Sanji was that damn tired, he didn't even bother to hold Luffy back until Nami and Robin got there. There was no point. Luffy had already inhaled half of it by the time Sanji had even realized the boy was there. Seriously, who was awake this damn early in the morning?

"No Usopp. It has to be that way, the compass is bearing north, north east. So it has to be South west." Nami said as she walked over to the table and sat down. Sanji laid her plate in front of her.

"Here my gorgeous, wonderful, fantastic-"

"Alright. I get it. It's too early for flattery Sanji." Nami muttered. Usopp sat down beside her, ignoring their seating plan. Who cared who sat where?

"But… that's the opposite direction." he argued.

"Right, the coordinates they gave us were north, north east. Then there was a red arrow pointing at those coordinates and it was clearly said in the list of codes that that means the coordinates are the exact opposites of the true ones." Nami explained as she picked up a fork.

"Oh. Well that's stupid." Usopp muttered as he picked up his own fork.

"Yeah, but at least no one figures it out. Or, they haven't yet. Vivi's pretty good at that."

"Vivi? Oh, she's the girl who controls the code centre." Usopp muttered.

"And an angel!" Sanji added.

"Yeah yeah." Usopp muttered as he speared a bit of bacon and held it up in front of him. He really didn't feel like eating this early. He examined it before putting it back down again.

"Vivi sent another fax as well. She and that curly haired guy are coming out to inspect our fighting skills and all that crap next week. Same old, same old." Nami commented, waving a fork in the air. She looked so thrilled. Chopper was next to enter, and he bounded in happily and jumped into his seat.

"Morning!" he cried happily.

"Chopper, you look green." Usopp commented, looking up with bleary eyes.

"Uh, one of my potions exploded and I couldn't get the dye out." the doctor replied. Luffy finished his food and was whining softly. Sanji took his plate and then came back with more for the boy, a few seconds later.

"Yay! Thanks Sanji!" Luffy cried. Sanji gave a jaunty little wave before going back into the kitchen and getting the last three plates. Robin came in and sat down. She looked as though she hadn't had a decent night's sleep and Sanji watched her nervously.

"Are you alright my dear?" he asked. Robin looked up.

"I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep last night." she replied. Sanji nodded and sat down.

"Marimo must be sleeping in." he grunted, "Bastard woke us up and now he's sleeping."

"Mm! He came into my room this morning and acted all weird!" Luffy cried, actually pausing in his eating to wave his fork around rather threateningly.

"Acted weird?" Nami asked, not really interested.

"Mhm. He was all red in the face and he couldn't talk… and stuff. I think he was drunk. Or sick." Luffy replied. Chopper looked up.

"Sick?! We need a doctor!" he screeched.

"You are a doctor." everyone said in a tired and bored tone. Chopper blinked.

"Oh." and he hopped down.

"Don't worry Chopper, I'm here." Zoro's voice said and Luffy turned to see the swordsman walk in and sit beside him.

"What was with you this morning?" Luffy asked. Zoro blinked.

"Nothing. I wasn't feeling very well." he replied as he picked up his own fork and began eating.

"Oh, sure. Wasn't 'feeling' well." Nami said cheekily, glancing at Sanji, who snickered.

"Mm, maybe Chopper should check him out." Sanji commented.

"Right!" the reindeer piped up.

"Chopper, why don't you go and get that dye out of your fur?" Zoro asked. Chopper blinked down at himself.

"But-"

"Now."

"Hmph." and the doctor stormed off.

"Oh, evasion." Nami muttered. Zoro glared at her across the table.

"What were you doing Luffy? Parading around in your underwear or something?" Sanji asked. Luffy blinked.

"No. I was washing my face." he replied. Zoro looked up.

"You mean you weren't having a shower?" he asked. Luffy looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"No."

"OHHH!" Sanji and Nami both squealed, "He's caught out!"

"I am not!" Zoro growled in return, "Oh. I thought I'd interrupted you having a shower or something."

"Is that why you were all red and stuff?" Luffy asked.

"Yes Luffy." Sanji answered.

"No! I already said, I wasn't feeling well!" Zoro growled. Luffy blinked at him and Zoro remembered what Luffy had said about lying.

"I think Zoro was feeling a little… hot, and bothered." Nami said tugging at the collar of her shirt and nodding her head towards Luffy. Zoro stiffened in his seat and forced that heat in his face to go back to whence it came.

"I. Was. Not." he replied dangerously. Sanji smirked.

"We'll see. Did he look like he was sweating Luffy?" the chef asked.

"Hmmm," and Luffy put a hand on his chin in thought, "yeah, and he looked like he was staring at my chest or something."

"Ha ha! How you gonna deny that one sword boy?" Sanji asked, intertwining his fingers and waiting patiently for an answer.

"I was… err… staring at the wall behind Luffy… not at his… chest." Zoro replied.

"That's how he was this morning!" Luffy cried. Nami was laughing so hard, that she couldn't breathe, and Sanji was watching Zoro with a knowing look in his eye. The head of Pearl wasn't so easily put off.

"Oh, what about the countless times Sanji's peeked through Nami's door when she wasn't looking?" Zoro asked, grinning smugly at Sanji who blushed a brilliant shade of red while Nami turned slowly to face him.

"You… peeked… while…" she stammered. Zoro could see a fist forming. He was no fortune teller, but, he could see the lump forming on Sanji's head already.

"Now Nami's doing it! Man, this must be catching. I'm going back to my room." and Luffy hurried away.

"I think I'll join him." and Usopp hurried after the boy.

"Only once!" Sanji whimpered.

"Oh, I thought you did it religiously on Wednesday mornings." Zoro commented, having the time of his life. Nami looked ready to kill, but there was an unmistakable blush rising in her cheeks. Sanji was pleading his innocence. Zoro decided he had had enough fun for one breakfast time and he stood from his seat, and moved back to his room. It was time to work.

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**Ha ha ha ha! Told you all that I loved this chapter. It has been the best by far I think. Not to mention, it was written at 2:30 ... am. Ha, had coffee and couldn't sleep. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed and I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you next time. -waves and grins like a television host-**

**!!IMPORTANT!!**

**Review, please! Plushie has been a nice girl, and has let people get away with not reviewing Fugitives (it only gets an average of three to five reviews a WEEK!!! :( ) and now, it's time for Plushie to be a bitch. If you don't review, I will leave this story right here... right now. I don't care. It's not my problem. I'm writing the story for my benefit, and if I don't have to update for you all, it just means I get more free time to write other things. My hits... they've gone through the roof! You can't tell me that's one of you, reading this page at least a hundred times over. That's just silly. So, do you all understand? Am I making myself clear? Good. **

**Yeah, Plushie's pissed off. It's exam week, I am surviving off of goddamn coffee and sugar, oh, did I mention that they are final exams? No. Oh, well they are. They're hard, they're hurting my brain, and you're all lucky I even updated. -steam rises from Plushie's ears- **

**Thankyou to those who HAVE reviewed. SpellcasterHikaru, Clarobell, meatofevil, CalypsoCallista, AMX, LetsEatScabbers, and Shiruji-chan. You guys have supported me from the beggining. Thanks. **


	11. Smoke and Fire

**Umm, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I'll continue the story, simply for those people who care to review. Thanks to them. But, yeah, take warning of what I said. I don't care if it's halfway, I'll just delete it from my profile and it'll be gone. But, I'm a little more tolerant now, as I said, I was surving off of caffeine and stuff and now I have graduated! Yay me! -grins-**

**Now, onto an action packed chappie filled with lots of... action. Ha, you thought I was gonna say something smart! Fooled ya! **

**Readers: No we didn't.**

**Plushie: -pout- read the chapter then. -walks off to sulk-**

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_**Chapter 11: Smoke and Fire**_

After the group had gathered everything they needed for the mission, they all stood in the entrance room, Luffy bouncing around excitedly until Zoro grabbed the back of his collar and the boy jerked in mid air and fell onto the floor with a thump. He pouted and looked up at Zoro with a hurt look.

The swordsman didn't look back at him, he was still too embarrassed from that morning. Sanji and Nami kept throwing glances at each other. Nami's were angry, annoyed glances, while Sanji's were apologetic and pleading glances. Zoro was watching them out of the corner of his eye as Luffy got up from the floor. Suddenly, Luffy was waving his hands in his face.

"What the hell!? What are you doing!?" Zoro growled, grabbing both hands and pushing them down by Luffy's side. The boy tilted his head and grinned.

"I wanna know something." he replied. Zoro sighed and let the smaller boy's arms go.

"What?" he asked. Luffy blinked for a minute before grinning.

"How'd I get my powers?"

"Your powers?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you want to know?" Zoro inquired, a little curious about why Luffy was asking.

"Well… wouldn't you wonder if you suddenly turned into a rubber man?"

"I…guess. Err, I don't know a lot about it. Ask Chopper." and he crossed his arms and tapped his foot as they waited for Usopp. The boy had had to go back and get something, and now they had been waiting for ten… no, thirteen minutes.

"Usopp!" Zoro barked and walked back into the main part of Pearl. Luffy pouted and then turned to Chopper, who was standing beside the wall, leaning slightly against it and yawning. His eyes were slightly drooped, indicating that the little reindeer was very tired. Luffy bounced over, intent on both asking his question, and cheering Chopper up. The doctor looked up as Luffy approached and a small smile appeared around his furry lips. Luffy grinned at him.

"Chopper! Can I ask you something?" Luffy inquired. The doctor nodded quietly, wondering what it could be, "Well, I wanna know how I got my powers and I asked Zoro, but he wouldn't tell me. So, could you?"

"Oh, is that all? Actually, I'm surprised you didn't ask me sooner. Umm, usually the powers stem from some sort of accident that happened in your life that you either remember… or don't. I know, my power to talk and be really smart and stuff was something that happened throughout my whole family.

In Robin's case, she also has a genetic link, but, her powers didn't show until she was twenty or so. She can tell you all about it." and the two looked over at the older woman, but, she looked either distracted, or tired. It was hard to tell. Either way, Robin didn't look like she wanted to talk.

"So, this gecin… genectic… family thing, is what I have? Or, the accident thing?" Luffy asked when they had turned back to each other again.

"Well, do you remember ever being in an accident?" Chopper asked as a loud yell of 'DAMNIT USOPP!!' echoed through the house. Nami and Sanji hurried off to make sure Zoro didn't try to kill Usopp for whatever the boy had done. Luffy thought back through his past. He couldn't think of anything.

He remembered the day Ace had said he had to go away, and he remembered the day the court had taken him away from Makino and Shanks, saying they were unfit to take care of him. His mind couldn't think of anything and he shrugged.

"Nope. Can't think of any accident thingy's." and he tilted his head. Chopper blinked back at him.

"Then, it must be genetic. Did your parents ever have anything… abnormal they could do?"

"Ab what?"

"Not normal. Like you can stretch. Something like that."

"Umm… I don't remember my parents, but, Ace said they were normal. I think…" and Luffy paused as he thought. Chopper was a little shocked by the statement that Luffy didn't remember his parents. Chopper remembered his very well. But he also remembered the day he was taken away from them.

"Get fucked Sanji. You fucking lousy cook!" and Zoro stormed out into the entrance room and out the door, slamming it purposefully behind him. Sanji walked in, equally shitty but a comment from Nami made the chef calm down considerably.

Luffy tilted his head and then went to the door and looked out to see Zoro standing by the road, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his shoulders hunched. He was pretty pissed off and Luffy pouted. He couldn't have anyone grumpy today. Luffy bounded out of the doorway and then hurried over to the swordsman. He sidled up beside Zoro and then copied the look on the man's face, sticking his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout and crossing his arms.

"Cut it out Luffy." Zoro growled angrily. Luffy shrugged and then leaned against the man's arm.

"You cut it out. Why are you being so grouchy?" and the boy grinned up at the man. Zoro frowned.

"Because I'm entitled to be." Zoro replied. Luffy blinked.

"That's not a very good answer." he muttered. Zoro's head snapped around, and he glared at the boy with harsh eyes. Luffy stared back with dark, and confident eyes and soon, Zoro had to look away.

"Usopp lost the directions." Zoro mumbled. Luffy tilted his head.

"Is that really something to get so worked up about?" he asked. Zoro shrugged and a haze of crimson spread lightly across his cheeks.

"I…uh, I don't have a very good sense of direction." and he cleared his throat and the gazed at Luffy as if he was daring the boy to laugh. Luffy took up that dare and he chuckled.

"Is that all?" and he grinned and leaned up close to Zoro, "Nami's like… the navigator or something, right? She should remember the directions and stuff, right?" Zoro, who was momentarily stunned by the closeness of the boy, blinked for a moment before relaxing and sighing.

"Yeah… I guess so." he replied. Luffy tilted his head in the other direction.

"Good. Then, let's go!" and he ran back to the house and into the door. He stumbled back and Zoro raised an eyebrow before Luffy pulled the pendant out and pressed it against the metal. He seemed unaffected by the fact that he had just run into a solid metal door.

Zoro sighed and shook his head, brushing a hand through his hair as he did so. How had Luffy managed to make Zoro agree with him so readily? Zoro was a stubborn guy, and he was proud of it. And yet, Luffy had easily pushed him out of the grump he had been in. The door to Pearl opened again and Luffy came running out, waving his hands about crazily.

"Nami says she knows where to go!" he announced brightly. Zoro blinked. Now why hadn't Nami told him that in the first place?

---

Nami led the way, Sanji walking casually behind her. There was at least a metre between him and Zoro. The swordsman was sullen, his face directed towards the ground and his mouth set in a grim line. Luffy was walking with Usopp and Chopper while Robin brought up the rear.

Luffy was chatting animatedly to Usopp, who was nodding as he listened. Zoro grit his teeth as he listened to them, laughing and shouting happily. He wasn't worried about someone seeing them, or hearing them, actually, the way Luffy was carrying on, Zoro wouldn't have been surprised if the whole town had heard them by now. His guilt was gnawing at him. He hadn't meant to yell at Usopp like that. He needed to apologize.

"Luffy." Zoro called, looking over his shoulder at the boy. Luffy paused and then grinned, bounding forward to stand beside the swordsman, "Why don't you go up and talk to Nami and Sanji?"

"Hmm…" and Luffy watched him carefully for a moment, his eyes glancing over every inch of his face before a grin split across his face, "Ok!" and he bounded forward to Nami's side. The ginger haired woman reached out and ruffled Luffy's hat affectionately before she began talking to him. Zoro smiled a little before dropping back to talk to Usopp. The boy was watching the pavement in front of him carefully, his eyes flicking back and forth as if searching for something.

"Hey, Usopp. Look… I'm sorry I yelled at you." Zoro apologised. Usopp looked up at him, and then smiled.

"That's ok!" he replied, "I know you didn't mean it… boss." Zoro gave a short nod and then nudged the boy's shoulder.

"You never told me what happened with Kaya." he said and grinned. Usopp turned scarlet and looked across the street to study a window very intently. Zoro chuckled.

"You don't kiss and tell huh? Fair enough." and then the leader of Pearl moved forward again, a smile on his face and his heart a little lighter. It was good to get rid of that excess guilt. Chopper, who had fallen back to talk to Robin for a bit, came forward to talk to Usopp again. Nami paused, causing everyone else to stop and look around.

"This… should be it." Nami muttered, looking around a little worriedly. Sanji glanced across the street and then blinked upon seeing the shine of something in an alleyway.

"Get down!" he yelled and grabbed Nami, pushing her to the ground. Zoro dropped, Usopp, Chopper and Robin doing the same behind him. Luffy turned, wondering what was happening as a gunshot ripped through the silent air.

Luffy's body jerked back and Zoro's eyes widened as everything around him seemed to turn into slow motion. His heart stopped as the bullet sunk into Luffy's shoulder… and then stretched the skin backwards. A small streak of skin appeared on the other side of Luffy's shoulder and it stretched for a bit, before rebounding the bullet straight back in the direction it had just come from.

There was a scream and then a thud, indicating that the assassin had been hit. Sanji scrambled to his feet and ran across the street, before disappearing into the alley. Luffy was shocked, his hand going to his shoulder, and poking at it carefully for a moment.

"What… what the hell was that!?" Zoro finally managed to gasp as he got to his feet again. Luffy looked down at him and then grinned.

"COOL!" he shouted, "I'm bullet-proof!" Nami rose beside him, her eyes dark and a sneer on her lips.

"If you **ever **scare me like that again…" and she looked up at Luffy with a pair of deadly eyes, "I swear you're going to die a very poor man." Luffy tilted his head.

"Sorry Nami. Didn't mean to scare you." he apologised. Zoro shared Nami's sentiments. That had been **way **too close. Usopp sighed, Chopper grinned.

"I knew it!" and he jumped to his feet and ran over to Luffy, "When I calculated your body's particular structure and makeup, I noticed that the rubber you use in your skin, can deflect any blunt object!" Luffy blinked back at him for a minute and Chopper sighed.

"It means you are bullet-proof, yes." the doctor muttered. Luffy grinned.

"Right! But, Zoro, you're all pale and stuff. Were you worried about me?" and he smiled slyly at the older boy, who valiantly fought the heat rising under his collar.

"I was worried I would have to find another damn member for this team. Do you have any idea how much paperwork that would involve?" Zoro growled as a reply, his harsh tone making Luffy grin further. The boy was obviously seeing through Zoro's attempt at making it seem like he didn't care. The swordsman frowned and moved across the street to see what was taking Sanji so long.

"Oi, what the hell's taking so long princess?" Zoro growled as he moved into the shadow of the alley way. When he found Sanji, it was to see the chef being held by his throat, in the air, as pure smoke swirled around the area.

"Holy shit!" Zoro yelled and then dodged to the side as a large, thick tendril came twisting towards him. Zoro gasped as he suddenly found himself in the same situation as Sanji.

"Moron." Sanji gasped.

"Not the time." Zoro gasped in return. Sanji kicked out, but the smoke just dissolved around his foot and then returned back to it's original form again.

"You two idiots have been sticking your noses where they don't belong, and you've wounded my second. I'm going to make you pay for that." a gruff, scratchy voice growled. Zoro's eyes began to sting with the increased exposure to the smoke, and he coughed before glaring at a distant point in the middle of the thickest part of the smoke.

"Who… the hell are you?" he gasped. There was a low chuckle.

"Why should I tell you… Roronoa Zoro?" the voice asked as a body began to materialize. First came the legs and then a torso. This man was big and strong, his build even thicker than Zoro's. His face appeared next, sporting two cigars and a mess of silver hair.

"What are you?" Sanji asked, his hands clenching uselessly against the smoky air around his throat.

"Picking on people younger than you is not a good way to play fair, old man." a casual, laid back and sarcastic voice said behind the smoking form. Sanji and Zoro suddenly found themselves on the ground, the smoke gone as it headed towards another figure. One that was leaning against the side wall, arms crossed and the brim of an orange hat hiding his eyes.

A sly smile graced his lips, and long dark hair seemed to be rising slightly in a non-existent wind. Thick muscles seem to cling to every part of his body. Naked from the waist up, he seemed particularly comfortable with himself as he looked up at the smoke heading toward him.

Sleepy eyes flickered for a moment before his body suddenly became a large, living flame. Sanji looked at Zoro, who shrugged and then looked back at the show taking place before him. The man with the orange hat had dodged out of the way, and was now standing before Sanji and Zoro, flames still licking from his shoulders, almost like a dog that had it's hackles raised.

"You guys okay?" the man asked.

"Fantastic." Zoro growled in return.

"Great. Then, you might want to move." the man said before flaming up and dodging away. Sanji and Zoro scrambled to either side as smoke once again came heading for them.

"Have to be faster than that if you want to catch me." the man taunted, now sitting on the thin edge of a railing that was protruding from the side of the building. He poked out his tongue before swinging off of that, dodging the smoke once more and landing on the ground.

"Oh Smoker." and he shrugged, hands on his hips, "I'm afraid you're just getting too slow in your old age."

"Who the fuck you calling old?" and smoke wrapped around the boy's throat. The fire man tilted his head and then the smoke disappeared, flames licking the air hungrily where it had been a minute ago.

"You're neglecting your comrade." fire suddenly said, pointing anxiously towards a girl lying in the corner. She was unconscious and Zoro looked over before stiffening in alarm.

"She looks like Kuina!" Sanji called. Zoro blinked at the girl for a few minutes before smoke wrapped around her body and brought her over to the man called 'Smoker'. He slung her over his shoulder, glared at fire a moment longer before disappearing down another side alley.

"Coward." fire muttered and then turned towards Sanji and Zoro and grinned. Zoro was startled to see that it reminded him so much of Luffy.

"Portgas D Ace, at your service." he announced and gave a small bow, that sly smile still upon his face.

"And who was the other guy?" Sanji asked as he finally got to his feet, brushing off his coat as he did so. He scowled at the large dirt marks on it.

"Smoker. Agent, grump and general bad ass." Ace replied. Zoro got to his feet.

"That… girl. Who the hell was she?" he asked. Ace looked at him.

"Tashigi. Smoker's second in command."

"Command of what?" Sanji asked, searching his pockets for another cigarette. The other one had been dropped when that Smoker bastard had grabbed a hold of him.

"Err, some secret organisation thing. I dunno." Ace replied, shrugging. Zoro eyed the man carefully, trying to figure out where he had seen him before. And the name. That name was familiar as well. He had heard it somewhere and his brain was just being a prick and not letting him figure the whole situation out.

"Zoro!" a voice called and the swordsman glanced at Ace again before moving to the edge of the alley.

"Here!" he replied.

"There you are!" and suddenly Zoro found himself buried under a pile of Luffy. The boy had swung around the corner so fast, that he hadn't been able to stop his 'rubber rocketing' affect, and had flew straight into Zoro.

"Nami said to come and find you. Said that you couldn't find your way out of an old paper bag. Don't know what that means. I didn't know you could even _fit _into a paper bag." and then the boy began regarding him carefully, as if trying to figure out how a fully grown man could fit into a bag that was barely the size of his two splayed out hands.

"Luffy, would you get off me!" Zoro growled as the boy straddled his hips. Luffy blinked and tilted his head.

"Hey Zoro, are you not feeling well again? Your face has gone all red again. Boy, you really get sick a lot." and Luffy jumped backwards, and stumbled for a minute before smacking into a large chest. He spun around and looked into the face of someone he knew very well. Someone he hadn't seen in at least a few months.

"ACE!" he yelled and flung his arms around his older brother. The fire man blinked, surprised to find his little brother keeping company with people he didn't know.

"Hey Luffy. What are you doing here? Why aren't you in school?" Ace asked. Luffy stepped back and tilted his head, grinning widely.

"I'm a part of a sec-" but Zoro and Sanji both jumped up and slapped palms over the boy's mouth.

"It's a day off." both of them said, wide and fake grins on their face. Luffy looked from Zoro to Sanji and back before shaking his head, trying to get rid of them. Ace blinked and raised an eyebrow before crossing his arms.

"Really?" he asked, disbelieving, "Alright, what have you been up to Luffy?"

"Nothing!" Luffy burst out, thrusting Sanji and Zoro's hands away from his mouth, "I've just been hanging around these guys heaps. They're really cool!" and Luffy grinned. Ace chuckled.

"Fair enough. So, who exactly are these guys?" and he looked at Sanji and Zoro both calculatingly, and interestedly.

"That's Zoro! And Sanji. Sanji's a really great cook and Zoro's a swordsman!" Luffy replied brightly. He was enjoying telling someone about his new friends, and it felt even better that it was his older brother he was talking to. Ace smirked and looked over his shoulder at the roof.

"Well, there's no point going to your apartment, seeing as you're apparently not there." and the older male ruffled Luffy's hair, making the hat spin around and the fall lopsided over the boy's eyes. Luffy giggled hysterically before latching onto his older brother again and hugging him as hard as he could.

Zoro watched the whole interaction, something tweaking horribly in his stomach. Oh come on. This guy was his brother! Why should he feel so jealous- Wait, jealous? Zoro **never **got jealous. It just wasn't in his nature. Zoro turned his face away from the brotherly love going on in front of him and crossed his arms. Sanji smirked.

"Do I detect a hint of… jealousy?" he muttered. Zoro turned to him with a sneer.

"Right. I'll be jealous of Luffy's older **brother **when you give up smoking." he growled before walking forward.

"Luffy, come on. We have important things we need to do." and gripping the younger boy's arm, he began pulling him down the alley way.

"Zoroooo! What about Ace!? I never get to see him!" Luffy whined, tugging at the swordsman's arm. Zoro wasn't going to let go though. Sanji chuckled as he walked past Ace, who raised an eyebrow and followed.

"Uh… mind informing me of why my brother was just stolen away?" he asked politely. Sanji paused and turned to Ace with a small smile.

"I think Marimo was having a case of jealousy." Sanji replied, rocking back onto his heels for a moment as he stood in place. Ace blinked and then narrowed his eyes for a moment before they widened again.

"Oh. You mean…" and he pointed after Zoro. Sanji shrugged and then nodded, a rather self-satisfied smirk on his face. Ace laughed, throwing his head back and putting his hands on his hips.

"Sanji!" came Zoro's barking voice. The chef frowned, his cigarette twisting between his lips before he moved forward.

"Hey… mind if I tag along? I mean, I haven't seen Luffy in a while, and, he is my little brother. I really do worry about him, you know?" Ace asked, sticking one of his hands in his pockets. Sanji shrugged.

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask seaweed head. He's the leader of our crazy crusade." and Sanji walked off, a thin trail of smoke wafting in the air behind him. Ace blinked and then moved after him, wondering what the hell the blonde had been talking about.

--------------

**Well, there ya go. Review dang nabbit! -throws a Marine at the people not pushing that little button in the corner.- Yeah, go get em Smoker! -suddenly gets thrown backward with a jitte in her chest- Aw bugger...**


	12. Red Diamonds

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**_Chapter 12: Red diamonds_  
**

Luffy struggled against Zoro's grip before turning and twisting his hand around Zoro's wrist.

"Zoro. Why are you being so mean?" Luffy asked angrily as he yanked at his arm. Zoro frowned.

"We're on a mission. You're not supposed to be talking to anyone while you're on a goddamn mission." the swordsman responded. Luffy pouted ferociously.

"You were talking to Ace before I came along!" he shouted, as he suddenly used a strength Zoro hadn't noticed, and wrenched himself free of Zoro's hand. The head of Pearl turned and glared at the boy.

"I am your superior. I am the head of Pearl. Get it into your thick skull, that I lead this operation." he ground out through clenched teeth. Luffy frowned back at him and he was no longer looking like a little kid. He looked like a full grown adult, one capable of easily hurting someone.

"No, you are not superior to me. You may be the head of Pearl, but get it through **your **thick skull, that I don't have to be here. I don't have to listen to you. You're not my father, nor are you my mother. Hell, you're not even my goddamn brother, but Ace is. And if I wanna talk to him, I will." and with that Luffy turned on his heel and stalked back to where Ace was moving out of the alley, Sanji a few steps ahead. Zoro was partly shocked, partly amused, and mostly… terrified.

Luffy's voice then. It had chilled him to the core. Like ice, freezing you from the inside out. Zoro felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, and his heart was beating faster than usual. He took in a slightly shuddering breath and looked up to see Luffy bouncing around Ace like nothing had even happened, but Sanji had noticed. He was sticking Zoro with such a glare that the swordsman turned away, pretending he hadn't seen it.

"Swordsman? Might I ask who that is with rookie?" Robin inquired, looking interestedly at Ace. Zoro frowned even deeper and ignored her.

"Come on. We're moving out. Luffy or not." and he walked away from them, shoulders hunched and hands stuck resolutely in his pockets. As they continued, Nami moved up beside him and pointed him towards a bridge that crossed over a wide river.

"We have to stop here. We've already gone past the point where the house was supposed to be." she instructed.

"Well why the hell didn't you say so?" Zoro growled, turning on his heel and coming face to face with Sanji. The chef frowned, and then forcefully blew a puff of smoke in Zoro's face before turning away and following Nami, who had stepped in front to lead them. Coughing and waving a hand in his face, Zoro's mood went even further downhill, if that was possible. It was then he saw Luffy, walking between Usopp and Ace.

Zoro frowned and sighed at the same time. Luffy was right… of course. And he was wrong. He always was, what was the difference? There was none. No difference what-so-ever. He seemed to have a knack for starting fights this morning, first with Usopp and then with Luffy. And for what? A little entertainment? Because he was simply grumpy? He was jealous of Luffy's older brother!? What the hell was wrong with him for God's sake?

"Here!" Nami called from the front, stopping in front of a large, and rather dangerous looking building. It's windows were painted red, and it's walls were black. The two front doors were old and mouldy, but padlocked shut. Oh yeah, they couldn't have picked a more discreet place. Not. Zoro peered up at it, his temper and silent thoughts disappearing as he watched a shadow in the red window.

"Everyone up against the walls. N, hand out microphones and earphones. U, get a few smoke bombs ready. S, get ready to break down the doors on three. R, make sure those doors don't make a sound. C, you're the only one who can see through the smoke. Think you can go in and get rid of whoever's guarding the joint?" Z called, quick and decisively.

"You bet, sir." C replied as he ballooned into a large form that made Ace look up in surprise.

"Funny group." he whispered to Luffy. The boy grinned.

"L," and Luffy turned at the sound of his code name, "Get your brother out of the way and then report back to me. You and I are going to go in once the smoke clears. After us, S and U come in, and you guys go an alternate route to us. Down into the basement." Zoro instructed. Luffy quickly pulled Ace away.

"Wait, I can help." Ace said. Zoro paused a moment, contemplating it. He had to get into Luffy's good books again somehow.

"Fine, but don't screw us up. And none of that fire business unless I say so, got it?" and he accepted the microphone that Nami gave him and the ear phone that connected with it via a wireless circuit. Luffy took his and Nami apologised to Ace that she only had ones available for the group. He just shook his head and smiled, muttering a polite 'That's alright.' before following Luffy who had moved over to Zoro.

"Z, what are we looking for in there?" Luffy asked, his tone less cold, but still as hard towards him. Zoro almost winced, but caught himself before he did so.

"Red diamonds. Now shut up." he signalled to Usopp, who moved over to the door, his knees knocking out a quick rhythm that made Zoro sigh.

"One…" and Sanji moved in front of the door, "Two," Usopp gulped, "Three." and Sanji kicked. Both doors splintered but were held in place by a dozen hands. Robin pulled them away silently and laid them gently on the ground. But, no sooner had she pulled them away, then two smoke bombs had been thrown inside. The rest of the group stepped out of the way, covering their noses with their hands. Chopper had a small bandana tied around his nose and he ran in.

Silence.

Then two soft thumps and a growl. Zoro beckoned to Luffy and Ace, and the three ran in. Zoro's hands held his black and red blades, while in his mouth was already clamped, a bone handled blade. Zoro ran forward, swift, but cautious as he moved towards a door to the side of the room. Chopper hung back, waiting for Usopp and Sanji, who appeared a moment later, Usopp sweating and shaking like a frightened dog. Sanji pushed him forward.

"Why the hell do we have to go through this **every **time?" he growled as the marksman was pushed towards a small hallway that led to a door that must have gone down to the basement. Zoro, Luffy and Ace ignored them, as Zoro moved into the kitchen. It was dark, dank and smelled of mould. A drip kept hammering away as the three entered, looking around cautiously.

"Hello there," a voice said nearby. Luffy was first to spin, and first to be thrown backwards by a powerful kick to the chest. Ace just managed to catch the boy before he hit the floor. Zoro frowned as the man looked up before he stepped aside, revealing another, taller man. This one, was wearing pink, heart shaped sunglasses. He was holding out a small, metal ring on a string. His hat was tilted forward, and his hands were gloved.

"D'Jango." Zoro spat, bringing his swords up and getting them ready. The man looked up, glasses glinting. He had pale coloured skin, and his cheekbones stood out along with his red lips. He had a Pharaoh's goatee on his chin.

"Ah, the swordsman." D'Jango said, a sly smile on his face as the ring swung back gently back and forth. His eyes were shadowed, and Zoro couldn't see them.

"Should have known it was your bastard of a fucking 'captain'. Where the hell is he?" Zoro growled, taking a step forward. The man in front of D'Jango uncrossed his arms. Zoro paused for a moment, not caring in the slightest about the man, but instead, waiting for an answer.

"Well, you know what they say. While the cat's away, the mice will play." and D'Jango's smile grew even wider… if that was possible. Behind him, Luffy was shifting his feet impatiently. Zoro barely glanced backwards before D'Jango suddenly shouted.

"When I say D'Jango, you will attack your friends! D'Jango!" and Luffy suddenly stopped moving and Zoro sensed that he was in danger. Swinging sideways, he landed with ballerina like grace to see Luffy eyeing him with an inhuman glare. All colour had drained from the boy's eyes, and his teeth were clenched. Fists were raised and Zoro frowned.

"What the hell did you do you son of a bit-" but he never got to finish his sentence, as Luffy swung out a fist and using his powers, struck Zoro hard across the cheek. The swordsman hadn't been expecting that, and he was thrown into the bench beside him. It jarred his ribs, but he ignored the pain throbbing in his cheek and side. He frowned.

"You don't wanna fight me Luffy." he muttered, hoping it were true. After their little spat before, Luffy probably did wanna fight.

"What the hell did you do to my brother!" Ace growled, moving forward as his shoulders rippled with flame.

"Ace, keep your fucking fire under control in here! It'll burn like kindling!" Zoro yelled as he dodged away from Luffy's kick. As Ace advanced towards D'Jango though, Zoro got the impression that the older man had either ignored him totally, or hadn't heard him. The soldier who had kicked Luffy, had moved in front of Ace and was now squaring off for a fight. Zoro had flipped backwards over the bench, but Luffy hadn't stopped there.

He had simply smashed straight through the wooden bench, leaving a Luffy sized hole in the middle of it. Zoro frowned and blocked Luffy's next punch with one of his swords. How the fuck had D'Jango managed to hypnotize Luffy without him knowing! Luffy should have had more willpower anyway! After all, the boy had been able to break free from his grip, and after wielding swords for most of his life, Zoro's grip was pretty much like steel.

"Fuck!" Zoro yelled as Luffy hit him square in the chest and threw him into a wall. Still no colour returned to Luffy's eyes as he slammed both of Zoro's arms against the wall and kneed him in the gut. Twisting his blade around with his tongue, he moved it towards Luffy's face. If Luffy was going to hurt him, and the kid was really starting to hit some sore spots, then Zoro was going to hurt right back.

Moving his neck and tongue, he slide the blade along the boy's shoulder, holding the end between his teeth. Luffy hissed in pain and stepped back, but his eyes were still dull. Zoro brought another blade around, and created another cut along Luffy's other shoulder. This time, chocolate brown came back to Luffy's eyes and were muddled with pain, and confusion.

"What the…?" and he looked at the rips in his shirt, the cuts in his shoulders and the blood on his hands.

"L, you okay?" Zoro asked, as he looked up and saw Ace deliver a flaming uppercut to the man. It was quite funny to see a fully grown, well built man, shriek like a girl and run from the room screaming for his mother… literally. Ace then turned to D'Jango.

"Ace, back down. He's mine." and Zoro ran forward, jumped over the counter and blocked Ace from punching out D'Jango with a fist made of pure fire. Luffy blinked at his brother before grinning.

"So you have it too!" he cried and ran over.

"L, not now." Zoro warned as he pushed a blade against D'Jango's throat and held him against the wall.

"Where the hell are they?" he growled. D'Jango gulped, a thin line of crimson forming around the blade.

"I-in the basement." he stuttered, easily telling Zoro what he wanted to know. The swordsman frowned.

"Weakling." and he punched his fist into the man's face, breaking the glasses and making blood pour from an already horribly disfigured nose. Zoro moved out into the room they had smoke bombed, and saw Nami standing there, a stricken look on her face.

"Z!" she called and moved over to him. Zoro glanced at her before moving for the basement, "Is that where Sanji and them went?"

"Yep." Luffy replied. Nami frowned, businesslike again.

"Zoro, be careful. Their microphones are out, and so are their earphones. I don't know what happened." She said, her face serious. Zoro didn't even pause, just nodded.

"Thanks. Now get back outside, and tell R to get in here. We could use her help." he replied as he moved towards the door Sanji, Usopp and Chopper must have gone through.

"Already here Z." a soft voice said and Robin moved towards him from behind a wall. Zoro frowned.

"You know you're not supposed to do that." he growled, annoyed at her. Robin shrugged, a small smile lingering around her mouth.

"You know how I am… sir." she commented.

"Guard the entrance to the basement. Don't let anyone through." he instructed.

"As you wish, swordsman." Robin replied and turned her back on them, placing both hands behind her back and watching the area with eagle-sharp eyes. Zoro ignored her and opened the door, swords ready and waiting.

Luffy was watching his brother with a mixture of awe, and a want to fight. It was obvious that he wanted to test his own power against his brother's, to see which was the stronger. Ace looked down at his brother and grinned.

"Right, as soon as we get out of here, we'll fight." he said as they followed Zoro. Luffy grinned brightly.

"Yes!"

"Shhhh!" Zoro hissed. Luffy pouted and frowned.

"No fun." he muttered. Zoro ignored the comment in favour of looking back down the stairs. He almost tripped over the leg that was lying on the stairs. For a moment, Zoro had the wild thought that it was an unattached body part. One of Sanji's. And then he saw the rest of the man hanging over the side of the stairs. He let out a small breath.

"Sanji!" Luffy yelped and stumbled down the stairs to the man's side. Sanji was out cold, a livid bruise forming on the side of his face, and four long scratches along his chest. They had ripped clean through his jacket and the shirt beneath, to scratch into the flesh.

Zoro frowned and looked around cautiously. Whatever had done this to the chef, must have still been in here. He also ignored the fact that Luffy had used Sanji's name. Hopefully, that wouldn't give them away. Hopefully…

"Sit him up against this wall, bro." Ace said, helping Luffy gently move Sanji over to the wall on the other side of the stairs so the tall man could rest against it. Ace quickly assessed the damage, passing a hand over the bruise before nodding to Luffy.

"He'll be alright." he assured. Luffy sighed.

"L, get down here." Zoro called up the stairs. Both Luffy and Ace hurried down the stairs, and found Zoro supporting Usopp, who seemed to be only half conscious anyway.

"Who the hell did this?" Ace cursed as he looked over the boy. Usopp's left eye was swollen shut, long scratches marred the right side of his face and it looked like that abnormally long nose, had been broken. His gun was slashed into three pieces and was lying about five feet away from him. Luffy was looking around the room, a dark look overtaking his face. Eyes usually full of mirth, darkened and became hard and cold.

His fists were clenched and his shoulders were hunched. Ace glanced at his brother, and became serious himself. If Luffy was serious about this situation, then it had to be bad. And Ace knew better than anyone what his brother was capable of. Or, at least he thought he did.

Zoro frowned, and moved to Luffy's side, gently passing Usopp to Ace as he did so. But the swordsman did nothing to stop the boy as he strode forward, deeper into the room. Instead, Zoro matched Luffy's pace, step for step, as he followed. Ace sighed and placed Usopp against the wall.

"I think I'm gonna stay here." he muttered and collapsed in a narcoleptic fit against the wall beside Usopp.

Luffy was angry. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this angry. But, someone had hurt his friends. And that someone needed to pay. He barely acknowledged the swordsman walking beside him, and for the moment, it felt like Zoro wasn't in charge, but he was.

He was the head of Pearl, and Zoro was the rookie. Luffy soon found a door that was marked with a red permanent pen. It read Neko and it made Zoro frown even deeper. He felt slightly disturbed and anxious that they hadn't found Chopper yet, but he was sure the reindeer would be behind this door.

"Guard that door. We don't want any interruptions." a dark, and spine-tingling voice said from inside. Zoro shoved Luffy to the side of the door and then jumped in front of him, pinning the boy to the wall and watching the door with narrowed eyes. Luffy's breath puffed against his neck as the door began to open.

Zoro pushed Luffy into the wall, so their chests were touching and his legs were on either side of Luffy's. His hands were beside Luffy's head and the boy's hat was digging into his forehead, but Zoro was watching the door. Two men came out, one hunched and skinny, the other tall and round. Luffy, even though he was acutely aware of the fact that they could be caught at any moment, couldn't help but blush.

His breathing was quickening, and it soon became fast enough that Zoro placed his hand over the boy's mouth. The swordsman looked down at Luffy, and gave an almost imperceptible nod. Luffy nodded in return and as soon as the door was shut, both boys were attacking.

Luffy delivered a sharp uppercut to the larger one, while Zoro spun around and sliced open the front of the second man's shirt. Both of them hissed like cats and jumped backwards, standing side by side with their gloved hands in front of them. On each glove, there were five long, cat claws.

"Pound them Buchi!" the hunched over one ordered, pointing a clawed finger at Zoro and Luffy before bringing the hand back and giving it a swift lick.

"You got it Sham!" and the largest one of the two, jumped forward, his arms stretched forward. Even though he was rather round, he looked very formidable, especially seeing as he was bearing down on a skinny, teenage boy.

"Luffy!" Zoro called but Luffy smiled.

"Don't worry. This is why you picked me, right? Cos I can fight?" and Luffy brought an arm up, and blocked as Buchi scratched with all his might. Luffy didn't wince, as long and sharp claws ran deeply through his forearm. Blood ran quickly down his arm and then dripped from his elbow before Luffy hung it towards the ground and smiled.

"Nice shot." and the boy jumped forward, slamming punches in Buchi's direction as quickly as a pistol could fire out bullets. Buchi was barely able to block the punches that came towards him, they were being fired that fast.

It really was incredible, and it seemed the new rubber elasticity Luffy's powers had given him, made punching both twice as strong… and twice as fast. Luffy's kicks were also faster and stronger. Buchi soon found himself on his back, on the floor. He glanced up at Luffy, who grinned and tilted his head.

"Come on! Let's go again, that was fun!" and he bounced once on the balls of his feet. Buchi flipped back to his feet and struck a cat like pose, claws out in front and long teeth bared. Luffy readied his fists in front of him, grinning like a maniac. He was enjoying this!

"You won't be having fun when I'm finished with you!" Buchi growled before pouncing. Luffy dodged out of the way and jumped up, and onto Buchi's back, wrapping his arms around the large man's torso and his legs around the other's legs. Buchi wavered for a moment before falling flat on his face. Luffy laughed.

"Again!" and he jumped backwards and onto his feet. Buchi growled and got up again, a tic going in his temple. This kid was getting on his nerves. Leaping into an offensive position, Buchi swung out, scratching at lightning speed with his clawed hands.

"Ha!" Luffy cried as he dodged out of the way. He then grabbed Buchi by the shoulders, spun him around and threw him at the wall. The cat-human-thing, hit the wood with a nasty crunch…and fell to the floor, unconscious.

Luffy put his hands on his hips and grinned before turning to see Zoro shoulder-barge Sham into the same wall. The two brothers lay in a tangled heap, eyes closed. Zoro looked over at Luffy and grinned. Luffy grinned right back.

"Yay!" and he ran over and hugged Zoro.

"Hey-wha- who- Will you get offa me!" Zoro stuttered. Luffy pouted.

"But Zoroooo…"

"We need to find what we're looking for." Zoro replied, "And don't say my name in public, or in that tone of voice ever again." and he shoved Luffy away from him and made for the door. Luffy tilted his head and sighed.

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**-Grin- Zoro's a grumpy ass, Zoro's a grumpy ass! he he he. Nothing fantastically interesting to say I guess, but, I'll see ya all next time! And reviews would be greatly appreciated!**


	13. Nice Kitty

**Hey ya'll! How you doin? That's just fantastic! well, shall we continue and see who the evil mastermind behind the abduction of the red diamonds is? (Really, it's not that hard to figure out. I've dropped millions of hints, and I think Zoro's even mentioned his name. -shrugs-) Anyhoo. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Sorry about the late update. Just a little busy. -gets hit by a rotten apple- -sigh- **

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_**Chapter 13: Nice Kitty**_

Zoro pulled open the door and the first thing he noticed, was Chopper lying in the corner. The reindeer didn't look in too bad a shape, but he was unconscious.

"Chopper!" Luffy cried and ran into the room, only to be hit from the side by something flying at top speed.

"Do not move, unless you would like me to use you as a scratching post." a dark voice said, and Zoro's teeth clenched. Kuro, the leader of the Nekos, was standing over Luffy, holding blades pointed downwards, into Luffy's back. The boy was still, but Zoro could see he was tensing for an attack. He briefly thought about telling him not to, but then he decided it was time for Luffy to defend himself.

Time for Luffy to get himself out of a bad situation. And the boy had it all under control. Throwing his arms backward and stretching them at the same time, Luffy wrapped them around Kuro's legs and swept him off of his feet, and Luffy's back. Zoro blinked.

Okay, so he hadn't expected Luffy to think of that. Maybe he had been underestimating this kid. And when Luffy slammed a punch into Kuro's face that sent the man flying back into a stone wall and rolling to the floor, unconscious, it was then Zoro understood that yes, he had definitely underestimated Luffy and maybe it was time to give the boy a little more responsibility amongst the group. A little more recognition, and a little more… respect. Luffy turned and grinned at Zoro.

"Was I supposed to do that?" he asked. Zoro blinked and then laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, you were supposed to do that." and he moved over to Kuro's inert form. How the hell had Luffy managed to take out someone as tough as Kuro in such a short amount of time. Not to mention it must have been one hell of a punch. Zoro leaned over Kuro, and then a feeling of danger flickered inside of him and he jumped, Kuro's blades sweeping beneath him. Zoro ran backwards and placed Wadau in his mouth again.

"Didn't think so." he muttered. But the truth was, he had thought so. He had truly believed that Luffy had flattened Kuro with one punch. He should have been more careful and a little bit smarter.

"Do you really think I would be felled by one simple punch? Though I admit, it did surprise me." Kuro admitted as he wiped the back of his gloved hand across the corner of his mouth. Luffy tilted his head.

"Hey Z, what's up with this dude? What's with the claw thingys?" Luffy asked. Zoro shrugged.

"He's a weirdo." he replied. Luffy chuckled.

"You're a weirdo!" he called to Kuro. The man stiffened and his frown deepened.

"I do not take kindly to compliments." he commented with a nasty smile. Luffy blinked.

"What's a compliment?" he asked. Kuro sneered and dived forward. Zoro readied himself to fight, but apparently Luffy wanted to handle this himself. He leaped forward and met Kuro head on, dodging the dangerous blades and landing punches almost effortlessly. Zoro watched on, ready to attack should Luffy need his help. But apparently, Luffy was quite alright by himself.

He bloodied Kuro up pretty bad, but mind you, Luffy had a fair few scrapes and cuts on him by the time he finally finished Kuro off. With one last punch, Luffy sent Kuro sprawling and this time, Zoro knew it was impossible for the stupid catlike bastard to get back up again.

He was speechless though, when Luffy turned to him and gave him the most serious, and frightening looks he had ever seen. Left over from his fight with Kuro, and as soon as the boy's eyes came to rest on Zoro, he grinned. Zoro watched him a minute before walking over.

"Well done." he muttered as he leaned over Kuro and pulled a small card out of the man's top breast pocket. Luffy pouted.

"Is that it?" he asked. Zoro nodded.

"Yeah. The location of the diamonds." he replied, not looking Luffy in the eye.

"…yeah. Good." Luffy muttered a little sadly before shaking it off and perking up again, "Should we go find the others now?" Zoro nodded again, standing up.

"Yeah. We'll go find them and then find this vault. It's upstairs or something. I dunno. N and R can find it. We need to get S, U and C home. Go and see if your brother's awake, L." Zoro ordered. Luffy grinned and ran out, blood still on his cheeks, legs and arms, but he was still as bright as a chipmunk. Which kind of frightened Zoro. He shook his head and glared down at Kuro.

"Time for you, to give it all up." and he slid two of his swords back into their sheaths, leaving Wadau in his hand. He gazed at the sharp edge for a second, before slicing it down.

---

Luffy spun around as he heard the door behind him slam. He blinked at it for a second before tapping a hand against it gently.

"Zoro?" he called. There was no answer. Luffy felt something was wrong. "Zoro!" he called more desperately. Still no response. Luffy tried the handle, but it was locked. What was going on? This didn't feel right! He slammed his shoulder into the door, over and over, until finally it gave way and swung inwards revealing Zoro. The man was pale, his hand shaking around his sword as blood slowly dripped from the end.

Luffy's eyes travelled downwards and then widened when he saw what lay there. Kuro… wouldn't be stealing anything, anymore. Zoro looked up at Luffy, his own eyes wide and his chest heaving. He looked about ready to cry. Luffy backed away slowly, unbelieving. He noticed Chopper in the corner, and the reindeer was stirring. Luffy watched Zoro for a second before darting into the room and bringing Chopper out, so the poor young thing wouldn't freak out when it saw what Zoro had done.

"Luffy…" Zoro gasped. Luffy turned and gazed over his shoulder. He wasn't angry at Zoro. He wasn't frightened of the man either. He was just… shocked. Zoro had seemed so… well, not nice but certainly not capable of this sort of thing.

"Yeah?" he asked. Zoro walked out to him, some of his tanned colour beginning to return.

"I'll explain when we get home. Ok?" he muttered as Chopper's eyes flickered open. Luffy nodded.

"Ok."

"Ugh, guys?" Chopper asked as he moved to push himself up. Shaking his head, Chopper looked around, the steel door behind Luffy and Zoro shut once more.

"Are you okay?" Zoro asked. Luffy grinned.

"We beat em Chopper!" he cried… but somehow, his voice lacked a little bit of it's usual happiness. Zoro glanced at the boy before laying a hand on his shoulder. He hadn't wanted Luffy to see that. He had kept it a secret from the rest of the group for a long time, and they still didn't know. It was something he had had to bear alone.

"Oh! Good!" and Chopper grinned, "Where are the others?"

"S and U need your expertise but the girls are okay. We need to get U and S home, so it'll be up to N and R to get our prize." Zoro explained. Luffy blinked at Zoro for a second before hearing his brother's voice.

"Luffy?" Ace called. Luffy grinned widely and bounded over.

"Ace!" he cried and almost tackled his brother in a hug. Ace blinked before smiling and giving Luffy's head a pat.

"Hey, you're all bloodied up. We should get you fixed eh?" Ace asked, leaning back to take a good look at Luffy. The boy tilted his head and grinned.

"I've been hurt worse than this! Besides, I don't feel as much now I'm rubber!" Luffy replied. Ace chuckled.

"Right." and he looked up to see Zoro and Chopper coming towards them. The older D frowned.

"What's up?" he asked. Zoro gazed at him for a second before his eyes glanced down to Luffy and then he turned away. Ace raised an eyebrow, a little bit lost. Luffy giggled.

"Zoro's had a rough day." he muttered. Ace nodded.

"Fair enough." Luffy let go of Ace and dropped down beside Usopp, poking the boy in the shoulder and when Luffy had confirmed that Usopp wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon, he lifted him over his shoulder.

"We're going home! And I think Zoro's going to let you come as well." Luffy announced.

"Uh…" Ace muttered, rubbing a hand against the back of his head, "Listen bro, I really need to get going. I have a few things to take care of." Luffy's face fell but then he smiled.

"Of course! That's ok! When do I get to see you again?"

"How about… we meet in town tomorrow? Does that sound alright?" Ace asked. Luffy grinned.

"Yeah! And we have to fight, cos you promised." he replied. Ace chuckled.

"Right."

"Oh, can I bring Zoro?"

"Whatever you want bro." and Ace ruffled Luffy's hair, scratching the hat back and forth. Ace followed the small group back up to the house and stuck around until Nami and Robin had been given their instructions. When the girls had left (Nami with a mobile phone in an easily accessible place) Zoro, Luffy and Chopper began making for home. Ace parted ways when they had reached the other side of the street.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Ace asked, hands on his hips as he gazed at his brother. Luffy grinned.

"Yep! Bye Ace!"

"See ya Zoro." Ace said. Zoro turned and raised an eyebrow before raising one hand in a wave and turning away again. Luffy chuckled and then watched as Ace walked away. Luffy's face fell for a second but then Zoro called his name, and they were leaving. Luffy never liked parting with his brother.

---

"Holy shit!" Sanji yelled as Chopper rubbed cleaning alcohol into Sanji's chest. Chopper winced.

"Sorry." and he ruffled around in the box beside him before pulling out a large bandage and some medical tape to wrap Sanji up in. Usopp was sitting across from Sanji, his knees shaking as he waited for his turn. Sanji looked up at Usopp and smiled.

"It's not that bad. Doesn't even hurt." Sanji tried to re-assure the younger boy. Usopp raised an eyebrow at him before turning away again. Sanji sighed. Usopp would always be a coward when it came to these things. Outside Chopper's door, sat Nami, who had returned from the mission with the diamonds.

She had one for the little reindeer, because being an experimenter and a doctor, Chopper wanted to study it and see if there was anything he could use it for. She hadn't wanted to make the boys feel any more uncomfortable by marching in there when their shirts were off, so she had just sat outside. Although, when Sanji had yelled she had smirked rather nastily.

---

Zoro had taken Luffy to his room and closed and locked the door behind him. He didn't want anyone walking in on them, while Zoro was explaining things to Luffy. The boy had sat down on the floor, his knees drawn up to his chin and his hat resting on the soft carpet beside him as he gazed up at the pacing Zoro. Fist of all, Zoro pulled off his swords and laid them on a desk that was especially meant for them, then he went and changed his shirt.

Luffy kept his eyes averted. Having Zoro so close today, had made him feel just a little uncomfortable… and a little afraid. And seeing Zoro with his shirt off (even though Zoro never wore a shirt when he wandered out in the mornings for breakfast) was a rather… interesting experience. In other words, Luffy's mouth went dry and, well, other things began happening as well, but we won't go into that just yet. And there was another thing as well.

Something Luffy had noticed the first time Zoro's shirt had been off. The scar. Running from left shoulder to right hip. It was amazing! Luffy had wanted to ask about it, but, whenever he made to do so, Zoro said something and it distracted him. Luffy filed the thought away as a question he must ask here and now. When Zoro had finished. Finally, the swordsman came back over, wearing a long sleeved, navy shirt, and sat down in front of Luffy, stretching his legs out so he was looking at Luffy on the side.

"Alright. You're the second person to find out what I do." he began, speaking in a cool, and collected voice. He was obviously concentrating on what he was saying, and he didn't want to freak Luffy out anymore than the boy already was.

"Second?" Luffy asked. Zoro shook his head.

"That's for later." he replied. Luffy nodded, "It's my responsibility, as leader of Pearl, to do things that the rest of the group is forbidden to do. Such as…" and he trailed off, "Killing."

"Why?"

"Well, it's a power thing. You see, there isn't just Pearl, Luffy. There's a lot of other organizations like this one, and all of them are different. Handle different areas around the world. Different situations. Some of them have been corrupted to evil, and some remain stoically good like ours. And then it becomes an all out war. The good versus the bad."

"…How many are there?" Luffy asked. Zoro shook his head.

"I only know of a few. The good ones are, us, Krieg's, Smoker's Marines, and the Beard's. Krieg's didn't use to be good. But, Don Krieg got his butt kicked into jail for the next twenty five years for manslaughter, and now Ghin heads them up. Ghin's alright. Smoker's the dude who was there today. We… uh, wounded his second in command and now he's pretty pissed and that's why he attacked. Usually, he's just a grumpy old bastard who wants us to keep out of his way."

"And the Beard's?"

"Ah, they're… sort of okay. They are good to people, but if you get on their turf, it doesn't matter who you are, they'll kill you. Whitebeard heads them up, but, he's a bit of an old bastard too. And I have no idea who his second in command is. He's kept it a damn secret for the last few years."

"And the bad groups?"

"Well, there was the group we just fought, the KuroNeko pirates. Then there's Buggy and his nose."

"Buggy and his nose?" Luffy asked, scrunching his face up at the strange name. Zoro chuckled to himself.

"I made the last part up. They're just called Buggy." he replied, "Buggy, the leader, dresses like a clown, and he has a mutation as well. He's able to un-attach any part of his body at will. To piss him off, just make fun of his nose." and Zoro shrugged, drawing one knee up and wrapping an arm around it, linking his hands together. Luffy grinned.

"Ha, sounds cool! What about the others?"

"Well, there's Arlong's group, the Merman. And each one of them is mutated in the form of a fish. Human bodies some of them, but yeah, they are what the group is called, Mermen. Breathe underwater, shit like that. They make a tough enemy."

"…wow." Luffy murmured, watching Zoro with wide eyes.

"Then there's Love. Led by Alvida. She used to be the world's ugliest, now she's the prettiest, but she's a bitch. And I mean a _bitch. _She usually teams up with Buggy."

"How'd she get pretty when she was ugly?"

"Mutation. Anything that touches her skin instantly slips off of her. But they're nothing compared to the last. Nothing compared to Baroque Works. I have no idea who leads it. I have no idea who is second in command. I only know the workers, and even most of them are still unknown to me." Luffy blinked.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because… we've only dealt with numbers 5 to 11 and their partners. The others, 1 through 4, remain too secretive for us to even figure out. And believe me, we've tried. But… after what happened last time we tried, we haven't gone back again." and Zoro paused a moment before shaking his head, "But, that's not what I was talking about! Basically, the killing is put to the leaders of the group, because they have worked their way to the top, and have the… well, the ability. But we aren't allowed to kill just anyone. It has to be a member of an apposing team. And usually only the leader of the team. So, it's the leaders versus the leaders." Zoro finished, his voice growing quieter.

"Well… that's stupid." Luffy commented, frowning. Zoro blinked.

"But it's the way of things around here."

"Well, the way is stupid too. The leaders shouldn't be forced to do that."

"Well they are Luffy, there's nothing you can do about it." and Zoro stood, moving over to his desk in the corner and sitting down with a sigh. Luffy tilted his head.

"You don't have to." he said, also standing. Zoro grunted in response, focusing on the paper in front of him. He still hadn't written that letter to the school. Luffy frowned. "Zoro!"

"What?" the swordsman returned.

"You don't have to. You can have your own free will. You're your own person, Zoro. So, that means that -"

"Luffy… you don't know what you're talking about." and Zoro turned to face him, "a) it's government orders, b) It's good versus evil and c) if you don't kill the opposing leader when you have the chance… then they'll do something that will hurt someone."

"But Zoro-"

"Luffy!" Zoro snapped, "What the hell would you do, if someone you cared about was in danger?"

"Protect them."

"Exactly. And what would you do if someone you cared about was killed?"

"Stop whoever killed them." Luffy replied.

"Exactly. And I didn't. I won't make that mistake again." and Zoro turned back to his desk. Luffy blinked and was about to speak but then thought better of it.

"Maybe you should have a little more respect for the rest of the group." Luffy muttered instead and walked out. Zoro sighed.

"Yeah… maybe I should." he responded to the silence of the room.

---

"Thanks Nami!" Chopper chirped as he took one of the diamonds from her hand. Nami smiled.

"That's alright Chopper." she replied. And then footsteps signalled that they were leaving. Luffy listened to this from inside his room, as he twirled the gold bracelet around his finger. Laying on his bed with one leg cocked, he thought about what Zoro had just said.

Maybe Zoro was right, and maybe Luffy was right. But, Luffy didn't really know. He was pretty damn sure that he was right, but it was just a matter of convincing Zoro that he was. And didn't their conversations always seem to end in some sort of fight? What the hell was with that? Luffy knew that he had been trying to be nice to Zoro, and trying to be respectful, but, that just wasn't him. That wasn't who Luffy really was.

He was happy, bouncy, and took orders from no one. It was in his genetic makeup. Ace never did anything he was told either. Luffy threw the bracelet into the air gently, and then let it fall back down and catch on his finger. Maybe it was time for Luffy to do a little investigating. After all, if he was going to be working with these people for who knows how long, he would want to know everything about them? Wouldn't he?

"Dinner Morons!" Sanji yelled. Luffy sat bolt upright, and then in a flurry of sheets and covers, was out of the room and into his usual seat, knife and fork ready and waiting. Meh, talking to the others could wait until later.

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**Okiely dokely, a bit more explanation, and we're getting closer to finding out who it was that was killed. Reviewers of this story have said so far that they've figured it out, and you smart alecs probably have, but for those who haven't -.-; (it's really not that hard) you'll have to wait until I reveal it, won't you? XP **

**Until next time my friends! Oh... and reviews would be appreciated. -grin-**


	14. Truth or Dare

**Yay! Another chappie! Wow, I really need to start talking about some background, and then get into the action and final sequence. Heh, well, here goes! -throws a Zoro plushie to everyone who reviewed last chappie-**

**-----------------------------------**

_**Chapter 14: Truth... or dare?**_

Nami raised an eyebrow delicately as Luffy bounced into her room. She was lying on her bed, propped up against some pillows as she read a magazine.

"What?" she asked slowly as Luffy flumped down onto the carpet and stared determinedly at her, a wide grin on his face.

"Nothing. I just came to ask you some stuff."

"Well hurry up, I'm busy." and she yawned and turned a page. Luffy tilted his head.

"Ace said that when I'm reading a magazine I'm not busy." he commented. Nami shrugged.

"That's you. I'm doing research." and she flipped another page and scoffed at the tacky outfit a woman was wearing. Nami was obviously lying, but Luffy didn't pick up on that.

"Ohhhh…" he said in awe before tilting his head, "How did you get to be on this team thing?" Nami looked down at him, her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Why?" she asked cautiously.

"Cos, I wanna know. I mean, I've noticed that nearly everyone at some point looks really troubled when certain names are mentioned. And I wanna… no, Ace said don't say wanna, I would like to know why." Luffy replied. Nami blinked at him.

"I joined of my own free will. Before I was here, I worked somewhere else. I didn't like their arrangement, so I _asked _if I could join this one." she explained. Luffy nodded.

"Where did you work before?"

"Somewhere." she replied.

"Where?"

"A place."

"Why?"

"Because I had to!"

"Why?"

"Damnit Luffy! I had to pay for certain things, and the pay was good there. I did various jobs for them, and I handled their money."

"Whose?"

"Oh for god's sake. You don't know him, but Arlong. Okay? Now get off my back." and with that she jumped off the bed, and literally booted Luffy from her room, slamming the door in the boy's wake. Luffy lay in a tumbled mess by the wall.

"Oh. Ok." he mumbled and chuckled to himself. One down…

"What the hell are you doing?" a voice asked and Luffy looked up to see Sanji gazing down at him, both hands in his pockets.

"Sanji!" Luffy cried happily as he righted himself.

"You just had dinner, you're not getting any more until tomorrow morning breakfast time." he growled, moving to walk away.

"Huh? No! That's not what I wanted!" Luffy cried. Sanji paused and craned his neck to look over his shoulder at Luffy.

"What then?" he asked. Luffy jumped to his feet.

"I would like to know about how you came to be here."

"Why?"

"Cos, all of you know how I got here, but, I wanna know how everyone else got here." Luffy replied. Sanji blew out a small puff of smoke.

"The guy who saved my life used to work here, he lost his leg while saving me and then raised me until I was old enough to pay back his debt, by coming and working as a chef here. And he taught me how to fight too. Happy?" and Sanji walked off. Luffy tilted his head.

"Thanks!" he called, "Boy, people sure are grumpy tonight." and he turned towards Usopp's door. Hey, maybe Usopp would tell him a few things. Just as long as the boy didn't get caught up in telling lies… again.

"Usopp!" he cried, reaching his friend's door.

"Yo!" Usopp returned. Luffy opened the door and peeked in. Usopp was sitting on his bed, drawing pencils spread out all around him and an A4 sketch book in hand. He was tapping the pencil repeatedly against the page, as if not sure what he wanted to draw.

"What is it Luffy?" he asked, looking up. Luffy grinned.

"Would you tell me how you got recruited into this team?" he inquired, running into the room and closing the door behind him. Usopp blinked before a smile spread across his face.

"Sure! It was during a violent storm, while I was afloat on a piece of driftwood…" and he trailed off at the look on Luffy's face. The boy was blinking at him, sadly and in a slightly annoyed way. Usopp sighed.

"Yeah, well, my Dad used to work here. He was the best marksman in the world, could shoot a hole through the centre of an Ace of hearts from any distance. Mum used to be the navigator, but she got sick, and died a few years after I was born. Dad continued to work… and he was killed, about four years ago last month. And, I became a member. But, Dad was brave… and I'm not so… yeah. I don't think I much of an asset." he mumbled. Luffy tilted his head and grinned.

"But, you invent things! Without that smoke bomb, we may have been shot or something. And you can draw!"

"Well what's drawing going to do? I know, I'll draw a picture of them dying, and then maybe it'll come true!" Usopp replied sarcastically. Luffy pouted.

"You can shoot. You're a marksman."

"Not as good as Dad."

"Well, maybe you can keep working at it!" Luffy said brightly. Usopp raised an eyebrow before chuckling.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So, what're you going to draw?" he asked. Usopp shrugged.

"I don't know. Whatever comes to me. It'll be a surprise though, and I'll show you what I drew, tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Ha, cool!" and Luffy ran out, "Thanks for telling me about your past and stuff Usopp!" and he closed the door.

"Now, who next?" and he tapped a finger against his chin. He was still grumpy at Zoro, and he stuck his tongue out in the direction of Zoro's door before turning towards Robin's.

"I'll visit her!" and he ran back through the kitchen and then skidded to a stop outside Robin's door.

"Come in." She called in a soft voice before Luffy had even knocked. Luffy grinned and bounded in.

"Hey Robin!" he chirped. She smiled at him from where she was sitting in a large, comfy lounge chair in the corner.

"Rookie, what are you up to?"

"Nothing. Just finding out some stuff! Mind if I ask you about how you joined Pearl?"

"Actually, young one, I would rather like to keep that to myself." she replied in a voice that suggested to argue, was the wrong thing to do. Luffy pouted.

"But, everyone else told me."

"Maybe Roronoa-san or Chopper will tell you, but, I would rather you not pry. Thankyou." and she smiled sweetly. Luffy sighed and walked out. Maybe he would have more luck with Chopper. And he raced back through the kitchen, startling Sanji who was making Robin a coffee.

"Ah! My new suit!" he yelled. Luffy bolted to Chopper's door and began knocking frantically.

"Chopper!" he whined, turning to see Sanji storming towards him. The reindeer opened the door and Luffy jumped in and slammed it shut behind him, laughing uproariously as Sanji swore at him from the other side. When Sanji had had enough of trying to get Luffy to come out so he could kick the kid's ass, Luffy began exploring the lab.

Chopper watched him out of the corners of his eyes as he stood on a small pedestal and leaned his chest against the desk he was working at. In his hand, he had the red diamond he had retrieved from Nami, and now, he was inspecting it carefully.

"Whatcha doin?" he asked. Chopper turned to him.

"I'm studying this diamond. I think it might have healing properties… but I'm not sure."

"Cool." Luffy murmured and walked over, "So, how did you come to be here anyway?"

"Robin brought me here. She found me on the streets after my mother was taken away."

"Your mother was taken away? Why?"

"They said that she was incapable of looking after me. Said she was clinically insane. But, she taught me everything I know. Well, almost everything. I learnt a few things off my father before he died. Cancer." and Chopper watched the jewel intently. Luffy tilted his head.

"So, you and Robin came here together?" he asked. Chopper nodded.

"Yeah. She was so nice to me. And no one else would take me because… well, I'm not exactly normal, am I?"

"Ha ha, no, but that's cool! I'm not normal either!" and he pulled the side of his cheek, stretching it for a little way before letting it snap back into place. Chopper giggled at that.

"GUYS!" came Nami's voice. Chopper and Luffy looked up before Luffy bounded to the door and looked out. Nami was standing in the middle of the lounge room, arms laden with what looked like board games.

"What is it Nami?" Luffy asked. Nami grinned at him.

"We're playing some games. It's been to boring around here, and we need to get together as a group again . Too much conflict between us." she replied. Zoro sauntered out, glanced at Nami before turning around and hurrying away.

"Oh no you don't!" and she charged after him.

"Nami! Damnit bitch! Get the hell off me!" and he twisted and turned as she dragged him back into the room again. Luffy giggled.

"But Nami!" Chopper called.

"No buts Chopper. I know you have work to do, but, that's part of the reason I'm doing this. Work needs to be forgotten for a while." and she dumped Zoro on one of the lounge chairs, where the swordsman sat moodily with his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on the blank TV.

In other words, Zoro was pissed. Nami went and retrieved Usopp, who whimpered about wanting to finish his best drawing ever, but then Nami threatened to hit him, and he shut up and followed. Sanji was there in a heartbeat, waiting for his Nami-swan to appear.

"Robin's asleep, so she can't join us." Nami said as she sat down in one of the lounge chairs, Sanji sitting beside her. Chopper sighed and trotted out, tailed by Luffy who joyfully bounced over and sat down on the floor, waiting for Nami to set up a game for them to play, but instead, she placed them beside the lounge and slid to the floor.

"Everyone on the floor." she instructed. Sanji complied, Chopper sat down, and Usopp moved to sit next to Luffy. Zoro stayed where he was.

"Oi, Nami said on the floor shit head!" Sanji growled.

"So?" Zoro asked grouchily.

"Come on Zoro!" Luffy encouraged, "Or are you scared?" and Zoro frowned at him before sliding to the floor as well.

"Okay, let's start off with something simple. Chinese whispers." and the games began. Luffy accidentally said the whisper aloud when they were playing whispers, and Nami had to stop and explain the rules. Luffy grinned and said he knew, and that he was just mucking.

Nami hit him over the head. They played a few games of poker, a few other board games, and Nami came to the last one, one she had been saving all night and her and Sanji had been discussing for a while. Truth or Dare.

"Okay." she muttered as she pulled out an empty bottle. She placed it on the floor and spun it. It slowed, and ended up pointing at Usopp, who took a deep breath. Nami smiled.

"Which will it be?"

"Uhh… truth." he said. Nami chuckled, rather evilly mind you. Usopp let out a small whine.

"Okay, I've got a good one." and she beckoned everyone to her to discuss it without Usopp hearing. Even Zoro joined in, despite his grumpy frown. They all thought it was a great idea and turned back to Usopp.

"Truth, did you kiss Kaya the other night when you went to see her?" Nami asked. Usopp turned a brilliant shade of red and stared determinedly at the floor in front of him. He mumbled something, but no one heard.

"Sorry, didn't catch that." Sanji said, putting a hand to his ear and smirking. Usopp looked up with hard eyes.

"Yes." and his red shade deepened.

"Woohoohoo!" Luffy cried and clapped his hands. Usopp nudged Luffy's shoulder, trying to get him to shut up.

"Your turn to spin the bottle Usopp." Nami instructed. Usopp nodded and did as he was told, spinning the bottle and then slipping backwards and trying to calm the raging inferno that was his face. The bottle slowed and the neck of it paused on Nami. Usopp turned to her, a sly smile spreading across his face.

"Dare." Nami said, batting her eyelashes once and reducing the man beside her, Sanji, to crying about how lovely she was. Usopp beckoned Luffy and Zoro close, they discussed it and then Usopp sat back, looking very self satisfied.

"I dare Nami to," and he paused, not sure whether he should continue or not. It could quite possibly lead to personal injury.

"Come on Usopp." Zoro growled, "Don't be a scaredy cat."

"I dare Nami to… kiss Sanji." and Usopp quailed as the two raised their eyebrows.

"How dare you dare Nami-san to do that…" and Sanji trailed off. Actually, he really didn't sound that angry. Nami turned to Sanji and sighed.

"I should have seen that coming." she muttered before reaching up and grabbing Sanji's chin and turning it to her. She quickly pressed her lips to Sanji's and then broke away. The chef blinked for a second before he fell backwards in a dead faint, his eyes becoming permanent hearts and his lips twitching in a love-struck smile. Nami had a faint tinge or red on her cheeks.

"My turn again!" she snapped and turned the bottle, trying to conceal the smile that kept tweaking her lips. It came to rest on Luffy and the boy bounced. Zoro's eyes widened as he saw Nami glance evilly at him.

"Truth! No, dare! No, Truth! Yeah, truth!" Luffy cried, bouncing up and down. Zoro let out a very soft sigh.

"Luffy, do you like Zoro?" Nami asked. Zoro stiffened. Luffy tilted his head.

"Of course I do. He's my friend." Luffy replied. Luffy wasn't _that _stupid, he was just avoiding the subject.

"No no, I mean, as in _more_ than a friend." she corrected.

"Best friend?" Luffy asked, tilting his head. No, Luffy wasn't that stupid. He was just good at acting that way.

"Nami, you've asked the question, move on." Zoro snapped. Nami gave him a glare. Luffy reached out and spun the bottle and this time it landed on Chopper.

"Dare!" Chopper squeaked. Luffy tilted his head, thinking, before he grinned.

"I dare you to give everyone a hug!" and he chuckled. Nami couldn't help but smile. Chopper liked hugs, though he pretended he didn't. The little reindeer sighed and went around to everyone (including the fainted Sanji) and gave them a quick hug. Luffy held on, hugging the reindeer before letting him go again. Chopper spun the bottle and it twisted until it stopped at Sanji. Nami gave the man a nudge and he sat up again, looking around blearily. He looked down at the bottle and then at Chopper.

"Dare." He said and shrugged.

"I dare you to… pull the hair away from your left eye." Chopper said.

"Na, that's lame." Luffy whined. Chopper glared at him. Sanji shrugged and pulled the hair back, revealing a symmetrical eye to the other.

"Ha, and here I thought you were a robot in disguise." Zoro commented.

"Go to hell." Sanji muttered as he spun the bottle. It stopped at Zoro and Sanji beamed. Zoro felt a sense of foreboding as Sanji moved over to him. Truth or dare, he was screwed.

"Dare." he muttered and then leaned away from Sanji as the man crept close, "And get the fuck away from me. You smell like cheap aftershave." Sanji frowned.

"Would you rather me say what I'm thinking aloud then?" he asked, glancing at Luffy and then back at Zoro to get the point across. Nami was chuckling merrily in the background. Zoro grit his teeth and leaned close enough to listen. A moment of hurried whispering and then Zoro's eyes widened, his cheeks went red and there was a rather strange gurgling sound from the swordsman's throat.

He jumped up, staring at Luffy before he grabbed at his nose and ran out of the room, blood running down his hand. Luffy blinked after him as Usopp, Nami and Sanji collapsed into violent fits of giggles. Chopper was confused and he made that quite clear by asking what Sanji had said.

"You don't want to know Chopper, but I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

"FUCK YOU SANJI!" came Zoro's voice. Sanji collapsed into more violent giggles at that.

"That was fun." Usopp said, as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"What did you do to Zoro?" Luffy asked curiously. Sanji shrugged.

"I just gave him a little… encouragement." and Sanji chuckled to himself before standing up and looking at the clock on the wall.

"Wow, one o clock in the morning. We should get to bed." Nami commented. Luffy yawned.

"I'm… sleepy!" and standing up, he stretched, admittedly a little more than a normal human should have been capable of, and then strode off to his room. Chopper yawned and bounced off to his. Usopp went over to Sanji and Nami, and they had a little discussion.

"You think we got him to realize it?" Usopp asked. Sanji grinned.

"Oh, I'm sure."

"What did you say exactly?" Nami asked. Sanji chuckled.

"I said I had two questions, and if he didn't listen to them both, I'd say them aloud. And then I asked some… questions. Simple as that. Fantastic reaction too, wish I got that on camera." Sanji replied, sending both Nami and Usopp into more laughter.

Next thing, Nami had pulled her phone out and turned it towards Sanji. A small video played, Sanji whispering in Zoro's ear, and then Zoro turning red, jumping up, and running away. It stopped when Zoro had disappeared around the corner. The three laughed for another few minutes before leaving to go to bed, turning off all the lights and saying goodnight.

---

Luffy moved out of the shower and gave his hair a scrub with the towel.

"Wonder what Sanji said to Zoro." he muttered to himself in the mirror. He scrubbed some more at his hair and then proceeded to dry the rest of his body. He shrugged.

"Must've been bad." and then he pulled on a pair of shorts and a light, sleeveless shirt and moved out of the bathroom, switching the light off as he went. He went and jumped on his bed, too tired to even get under the covers. Reaching up to the switch beside his bed, he turned the light off and then drifted to sleep. He got to see Ace tomorrow!

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**Wheee! Everyone loved truth or dare, and it's even more fun when you play it with Zoro and Luffy! Ha ha! -grins like a fool- That was fun. Have to do that again sometime. Maybe... twister. lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and if you did, feel free to say so. it's not like anyone's going to hold it against you. -shrugs- Cept maybe Zoro, but, he's dealing with an extensive nosebleed right now, so, I wouldn't be too worried. -grin- **


	15. Brothers and sickness

**Fifteen chappies, and everything is beginning to fall into place. I think. Well, things might still be a little confusing I guess, but, everything should come together soon. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, I do not own X-box, I do not own Lord of the Rings, Spyro or any other game mentioned. **

**Warning: Zoro's dream is a little disturbing, but, not as much as I think it is. So, if you read the first bit and find it is, continue on, because it really doesn't contribute to much other than ZoLu stuff. -grin- Continue and enjoy! Oh, and there might be hints of SmoxAce so please don't kill me, but that pairing is damn addicting. -shakes head and wanders off-**

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_**Chapter 15: Brothers and sickness**_

Luffy woke early in the morning to the sounds of people moving on the other side of his door. Sitting up, Luffy yawned and stretched his arms above his head. He got up and wandered out of his door, scratching his head as he did so.

"Sanji?" he asked as he peeked his head into the kitchen. Sanji turned and blinked at him before smiling.

"Morning Luffy." and he turned back to the pans and food in front of him. Luffy spotted the food, but, he didn't really feel like pouncing on it… yet. He yawned and turned around.

"Something bothering you?" Sanji asked as he flipped a three pancakes at the same time. Luffy tilted his head.

"No. Don't know what's wrong. Just… I don't know." and he went and sat down in one of the chairs around the table. He yawned and lay his head down. Sanji poked his head out after Luffy, and then raised an eyebrow and smiled before going back into the kitchen again.

---

Zoro woke up suddenly, sitting up in his bed and looking around wildly, hands searching blindly beside his bed for his swords before he took a deep breath and relaxed again. He sighed and wiped a hand across his forehead. This had to stop. Every time, this happened. After finishing the job and doing his duty, he always had the same nightmare, only, it now included someone extra.

At first, it was Kuina, killed once again as that weird gold hook pulled up through her stomach. Next, it was Usopp, shot in the head and knocked backwards. Then Sanji was ripped in half by an explosion. Nami and Robin were slashed by thin swords. Chopper was thrown to the ground, his eyes wide and blood running from his mouth. And the latest addition. Luffy was the last… and for some reason, he was hit in the same way as Kuina.

But, he still lived through it, turning and fighting, until the hook, coated with the boy's blood, ripped out and across his neck. And that was when Zoro had awoken. It was the most disturbing dream he had had for a while. Maybe it was his guilty conscience, maybe it was the fact that he had seen too much death, but he hadn't really. Zoro drew his knees up and bent to rest his forehead on them.

"I have to get Chopper to give me something." he mumbled to himself. He looked up as Sanji knocked on his door.

"Breakfast shit head." he growled. Zoro sighed, pushing back his covers and getting up. He paused as his head spun and he fell back onto the bed. He groaned and put a hand to his head, squeezing his eyes shut until the dizziness passed and he could stand again.

"The hell was that?" he muttered to himself before walking out the door. Luffy was snoring at the table, head pillowed on his arms and Zoro barely gave him a glance as he slumped into his chair. Nami and Robin were sitting side by side, quiet as they read the paper together. Usopp came wandering out a few seconds later and Sanji whizzed out, holding plates of food for the group.

"Hey." Sanji muttered, nudging Luffy. The boy groaned and sat back, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before spotting the plate of food in front of him. He beamed.

"Thanks Sanji!" and he dug in. Nami and Robin, of course, had their breakfasts first and looked up as Luffy spoke. They smiled and went back to the paper again. Sanji placed Zoro's plate in front of him and Zoro glared at it for a second before pushing it away.

"Not hungry." he muttered. Sanji frowned, rather annoyed.

"You'll eat it shit head. We're not wasting food."

"I don't care Sanji. Put it in the fridge and I'll eat it later." Zoro growled.

"Zoro!" Luffy cried, pausing in his chewing to stare at his friend. Zoro turned to him.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm going to see Ace today. Wanna come with?" Luffy inquired.

"Oohoohoo." Sanji said as he walked back out of the kitchen, a sneer on his face. Zoro glared at him, but couldn't be bothered retaliating.

"I think Luffy just asked you out Zoro." Nami muttered. Sanji chuckled as he sat down, handing Usopp his breakfast.

"Oh shut up." Zoro commented, a light tinge in his cheeks, "Nah Luffy. You and Ace should spend some time alone."

"But, Zoro, I want you to come with me. I wanna introduce you properly to Ace! Pleeeease?" Luffy whined. Zoro sighed.

"Fine. Whatever." Zoro groaned as he let his head drop forward onto the table.

"Yay!" Luffy cried and finished off his breakfast. Nami, Robin, Usopp and Sanji all threw each other amused smiles before returning to their own food.

---

Luffy strode along in front of Zoro, arms stiff and swinging like a soldier's. Zoro had his head bowed and looked about ready to fall over in a dead faint.

"So, where are we supposed to meet up with Ace anyway?" Zoro asked quietly. Luffy stopped dead and Zoro looked up, "Don't tell me you don't know?"

"Uh…no?" and Luffy laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. Zoro sighed, too tired to bother getting angry.

"Well maybe Ace'll find us." he grouched and continued forward. Luffy trotted along beside him. They followed a few paths until they came to town, not speaking a word to each other. Luffy seemed to be contemplating what he was going to do with his brother, while Zoro was just… well, being himself really.

"Oh, the silent treatment huh?" a voice asked nearby. Luffy paused and spun, looking around wildly until his eyes came to rest on a crouched figure sitting on the top of a nearby shop.

"ACE!" Luffy crowed. Zoro nearly jumped out of his skin and turned to see Ace there as well. He grunted a hello and yawned before putting a hand to his head. Ace jumped down from the top of the shop, wearing a light yellow, short sleeved shirt that was unbuttoned at the front. Black shorts and an orange cowboy hat. He put his hands in his pockets and regarded his little brother with a smile.

"Hey Luffy." Ace replied and then nodded at Zoro, "Zoro." and his eyes seemed to narrow for a second before he turned back to Luffy. Zoro waved a hand vaguely at Ace before looking around him. Finding a bench, he moved over to it and sat down.

"I think, I'm gonna stay here." Zoro commented.

"You sure? You're invited to come along." Ace said. Luffy tilted his head and grinned.

"Zoro's okay. He's just tired. Let's go!" and he grabbed his brother's arm and dragged him away. Zoro watched them go, that slight pang of jealousy flickering inside him before he coughed and stood, swaying.

---

Luffy fell backwards onto the soft grass of the park, Ace doing the same beside him.

"Some… fight… eh?" Ace asked and Luffy chuckled.

"I beat… you." he replied. Ace laughed.

"Barely."

"By a mile!"

"No you didn't."

"Did too!"

"Nope."

"Did!" and Luffy jumped back to his feet, "Come on, fight again!"

"Nah… it's getting late. Don't you think you should be getting back?"

"Huh? Back where?"

"Uh, Zoro? He's probably waiting."

"Zoro? Zoro!" and Luffy grabbed the edges of his hat and bounced around for a minute before looking down at Ace.

"Before you ask, no, I'm not coming back to where you live." and Ace sat up. Luffy pouted.

"But, Aaaace! Why not?"

"Because I've got my own organisation to go to."

"Huh? Is that why you were there yesterday?"

"Yep. That… and the old man was there."

"Old man? That smoking dude?"

"Uh, yeah." and Ace stood up and brushed off the backs of his pants, "Him and I kinda have a schedule. We meet in various places to… discuss tactics and whatnot." and he smiled at Luffy. The boy grinned.

"Oh! Kinda like getting information from the other groups and stuff?" Luffy replied. Ace nodded.

"You could say that." and he smiled to himself before sighing, "So, you had best go home huh? After everything you've told me, I think the group would kind of be missing you, don't you think? Maybe Zoro misses you." and Ace grinned knowingly. Luffy blushed lightly.

"I doubt it. He has other work to do and keep him busy."

"Yeah. I guess. Well, see ya another time little bro." and Ace turned into a pillar of fire and jumped onto the steel swing, pushing it back and then letting it go so it flung him forward and into the air. Luffy blinked as his brother flew out of sight.

"Nice exit." he muttered to himself before turning around and heading towards the end of town. He thought about the great day he had had with his brother… and then he thought about Zoro. Then about how he had fought with his brother. And then some more about Zoro. Luffy sighed when he saw that the seat Zoro had chosen when Ace and Luffy had left, was now empty.

"Wonder where he went." and he looked around for a minute before shrugging, "Maybe he went home." and he headed off towards Pearl headquarters at top speed.

"I'M HOME!" Luffy cried at the top of his voice when he burst in through the door.

"Yikes!" Usopp cried and spun around before sighing, "Oh, it's only you." Luffy chuckled.

"Sorry Usopp. You seen Zoro?"

"Yeah. He came home about an hour after you two left. He looked pretty miffed about something. What happened?" Usopp asked. Luffy tilted his head and put a finger to his chin in thought.

"Well, nothing I think. We met up with Ace, Zoro sat down, said he didn't want to come, Ace said he could cos he was invited, and then I took off with Ace. Zoro stayed." Luffy explained. Usopp sighed. He had picked up what had happened.

"Maybe you should go and talk to Zoro. Oh, and by the way, we're on holidays from now on." and Usopp turned back to the book he had been reading. Luffy blinked.

"Holidays?" he asked.

"Well… I guess they aren't really holidays. We're still on call for when we're needed, but, we don't have to do all the paperwork, and planning, and strategising and…" and Usopp continued, leaving Luffy looking more and more confused as he went on. Finally, Usopp finished his ranting about the fact that they weren't actually on holidays, they were just not as busy as they usually were.

"Why are we on… not-holidays anyway?" Luffy asked. Usopp grinned.

"Come on, don't tell me you've forgotten!" he cried. Luffy blinked.

"Umm… okay, I haven't forgotten?" and the boy laughed a little nervously. Usopp sighed.

"You have. Christmas dopey!" and he grinned widely as he waited for Luffy's reaction. Luffy just blinked at him and then shrugged.

"So?" and Usopp's jaw dropped.

"It's… but… Christmas!"

"Yeah." and Luffy shrugged. Usopp nearly fainted.

"You don't care about Christmas?"

"Well… I've never really had Christmas before." Luffy replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Usopp blinked.

"Oh…" and then he grinned, "Well, then this'll be your first! And you'll see how fun Christmas really is!" and he chuckled. Luffy grinned.

"Yay! Thanks Usopp!" and the boy hugged his friend. Usopp laughed and then Luffy bolted from the room, making for Zoro's bedroom. He burst through Zoro's door and paused when he saw his friend laying on the bed, Chopper leaning over him.

"Zoro?" he asked and then ran over. Zoro opened one eye and watched Luffy for a second before closing it again. He didn't look at all well.

"Hey Luffy." Zoro replied softly, attempting a smile but failing and coughing instead.

"Na Zoro, what's wrong?" Luffy asked, gazing down at Zoro with large eyes. Zoro snickered quietly.

"Too much stress." he replied sarcastically. Luffy tilted his head and looked at Chopper, who smiled reassuringly.

"He's got a cold Luffy. He'll be alright in a week or so." the doctor replied before picking up his little briefcase in his mouth, and exiting the room. Luffy tilted his head again.

"Does it hurt?" Luffy asked. Zoro snorted.

"No." he replied. Luffy smiled.

"Then you're alright?"

"Yes. I'm just sick." Zoro replied, deciding to just tell Luffy so the boy would leave him alone. Luffy obviously didn't understand what a cold was. Of course, Zoro having said he was sick, did not have the desired reaction of Luffy leaving him alone.

"AH!" Luffy cried making Zoro jump, and his head pound, "Zoro's sick! Where's a doctor!?" and Luffy pulled down the edges of his hat and jumped around maniacally. Zoro coughed for a minute before sighing deeply.

"Luffy!" he barked. The boy stopped bouncing and turned to face Zoro, his eyes watering. Zoro paused, lightly touched by Luffy's concern, "I'm going to be fine. Chopper's a doctor, he just saw me. Remember?" and Zoro put a hand to his head, trying to force it to stop pounding. Luffy frowned in thought.

"Oh yeah." and then he moved over to Zoro's bed and leant close to the older male. This made Zoro just a little uncomfortable, but he was red in the face anyway, so it didn't matter.

"You have to get better before Christmas." Luffy said, his eyes dark and his voice sounding more like a threat than anything. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, why?" he asked.

"Cos!" and Luffy jumped back, waving his arms around some more, "If you don't, then I won't have my first proper Christmas! Isn't it supposed to be about people being together and stuff? So, you can't be sick or we won't be able to be together." and Luffy grinned at his own explanation. Zoro raised an eyebrow and then laughed. This kid really was too funny at times. Luffy tilted his head and then joined in before stopping when Zoro started coughing.

"Right Luffy." and Zoro closed his eyes, the cold finally grabbing a hold and making him fall asleep. Luffy tilted his head, smiled and leant down and gave Zoro a kiss on the forehead. Zoro's brow wrinkled and he waved a hand, shooing whatever the disturbance was. Luffy smiled and blushing ever so slightly, he left the room.

---

It took over a week for Zoro to get better, and unfortunately for Pearl, the group had to deal with a few problems. But, Luffy's powers and fierce fighting skills more than made up for Zoro's absences, and soon, it was the week before Christmas, and Luffy was bouncing around Pearl like a gigantic rubber ball.

Zoro had barely been up for a few days, and Luffy had been hanging around him the whole time he was sick, and Zoro was beginning to just let Luffy be. Instead of trying to be overprotective, or under-protective, he was just happy to be Luffy's friend. Of course, this didn't let him escape Nami and Sanji's teasing. In fact, it increased. They seemed to think that the two were already together, and were just hiding it.

"Shitty cook!" Zoro yelled, slamming a fist down on the counter. Luffy and Nami blinked at the two before turning to each other and talking about what they were getting everyone for Christmas.

"Nami? I didn't know that." Luffy replied as Nami told him in a calm, but stressed tone, that Luffy was supposed to buy things for everyone. Nami sighed and rubbed her forehead before looking up and smiling.

"Haven't you ever had Christmas before?" she asked. Luffy shook his head.

"No. Christmas was me and Ace seeing each other and spending a day together and eating heaps of food together!" and Luffy grinned brightly. Nami sighed again.

"Well, that's part of it I guess. But, to show your love for people, you buy them a present on Christmas, and they give you one in return." she explained.

"Ooooh. But why? Isn't being together enough?" Luffy asked. Nami nodded.

"Yeah, for some people it is I guess. Well, it's up to you Luffy. If you want to buy stuff for people, just tell me okay?" she replied. Luffy nodded and then turned back to where Zoro and Sanji were now trying to knock each other out. Actually, it was a little frightening to see them fight so roughly in the middle of a kitchen, where there were knives… and ovens… and things that burned. Luffy sighed and rolled his eyes before grabbing the back of Zoro's shirt and hauling him away.

"HEY!" Zoro roared as he found himself suddenly pulled away from his target.

"Come on Zoro! We're going to play a game!" Luffy announced happily. Zoro growled as Sanji laughed his respective ass off in the kitchen.

"Let me the hell go Luffy! Sanji's laughing at me!" Zoro growled as he tugged against Luffy's hold. But the boy was strong, and he wasn't letting go anytime soon. Sanji laughed some more and then made kissy motions at Zoro, teasing him some more. Zoro rose his middle finger and then rose his other hand, doing the same motion. Sanji's lips twisted and he turned back to the kitchen. Zoro resigned himself to be sat in the lounge chair and waiting for Luffy to set the games up.

"Okay, we have… some choices." Luffy mumbled as he ducked beneath the large TV to pull out the x-box and plug it in. Zoro grunted in response, mildly interested, "We have… Spyro: A hero's tail." and he held it out to Zoro who raised an eyebrow. Luffy shrugged.

"Just checking." he muttered and threw the game down beside him, reaching back into the small cupboard, and wriggling his rear around as he did so. Zoro turned his eyes to the carpet, blushing slightly.

"Umm," Luffy mumbled before turning around and holding out another game, "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King!" he cried and waved it around. Zoro sighed.

"Yeah, whatever." he replied. Anything to stop Luffy wriggling around like a worm and making Zoro squirm in his seat. The swordsman let out a small cough, the after affects of the cold still not wearing off.

"YAY!" Luffy cried and bounced over with two controllers. He sat down and stared at the TV for a minute before pouting.

"It's not working." he commented and tapped a button on the controller.

"You have to turn the TV on, _and _put the game into the console." Zoro explained dryly. Luffy grinned sheepishly.

"Right." and he bounced back over to the TV again. Zoro sighed. This was going to be a long night.

---

"Heh, heh, heh." Zoro laughed evilly as he sliced up some Orcs using Legolas the elf. Luffy clicked the controller madly beside him.

"I've got about ten more than you do!" Luffy cried triumphantly as he made Frodo the hobbit stab another Orc.

"So, I've got better weapons." Zoro commented, finding himself enjoying the game immensely. He had never done this before, and now he was, he didn't think he would be able to quit.

"Will you two go to bed already! It's three in the morning!" Usopp growled at them from his bedroom door. Zoro frowned.

"Yeah, yeah." he replied and then leaned over to Luffy, "Can we turn the sound down and keep playing?" he asked. Luffy grinned.

"Sure thing." and Luffy grabbed the remote and turned the sound down and then commenced kicking some more Orcs' butts. Finally, the two had had enough of people yelling at them.

"Na Zoro, I was having fun." Luffy commented. Zoro nodded.

"Yeah, but, it's five in the morning, and even Sanji's awake." and he nodded at the kitchen. Luffy leaned back in the chair just as Sanji poked his head out of the kitchen to give them another of his 'You two are pissing me off so badly' glares. Luffy grinned.

"Oh."

"It's only because I can't sleep with you two up here giggling like girls, and that damn clashing and clanging going on. Anyone'd think you two were having sex." and he went back into the kitchen again. Zoro choked and snapped his head around to glare at the kitchen door, blushing a deep red. Luffy bowed his head beside him, trying to hide his own blush.

"Well, uh, I'm going to bed." and Luffy hurried out of the room. Zoro blinked and sighed. Now Sanji had gone and chased Luffy away. For once in his time as being leader of Pearl, he had been having fun. He hated to say it, and he knew it sounded horrible but, he was having more fun with Luffy than he had with Kuina.

Standing up and stretching, he flicked the TV off and then walked over and switched off the X-box. He really had had a good night. As he walked past Sanji in the kitchen, he added a cheery goodnight and then was gone. Sanji raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe they did have sex." he muttered to himself before snorting and turning back to the recipe book he had been reading.

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**-grin- Soooo, we had some fluff in there tonight, didn't we? Hope you enjoyed it. -grins some more and whistles idly- Yeah, I'm not actually hiding anything, I'm just being stupid. Reviews please! **


	16. Of tinsel and lights

**Hello all! It's a cheery morning, and a wonderful day. Not really. It's really hot here so, be grateful I did any typing at all. Australian Christmases, the hottest kind. -grin- But I love em. So yeah, our heroe's christmas is loosely based off of my own, sort of, it's not cold, and it's not hot. Just neutral cos I don't know how the rest of the world operates. Enjoy!**

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_**Chapter 16: Of tinsel and lights**_

"Na Zoro! Nami said I have to put up the tree." Luffy whined as he looked in bewilderment at the box laying at his feet, "But, how do I get the tree out of the box? And why isn't it a real tree?" and Luffy tilted his head at Zoro. The swordsman shrugged.

"Beats me." he replied before yawning widely. The late night, or more correctly, early morning bedtime, had made Zoro very tired. But Nami and Sanji hadn't allowed him to sleep in and now he found himself looking at a grumpy Luffy who didn't know how to put up a Christmas tree.

"Come on Zoroooo. I'm really tired and Nami said as soon as I got this thing up, I could go back to bed. Not to mention, it's Chopper's birthday later on this week too and I wanna get him a present before then." Luffy whined. Zoro sighed.

"Yeah yeah. She said the same thing to me." and he kneeled down in front of the box and pulled open the top of it. A harsh piece of fake tree sprung out and flicked him on the nose, making Zoro jump backwards. Luffy chuckled and then yawned.

"Stupid tree." he mumbled before turning the box so it was standing up. It was nearly as tall as Luffy. The boy peered in at the tree, and then raise an eyebrow at Zoro.

"This is stupid." Zoro grouched, crossing his arms. An angry red mark throbbed at the end of his nose and Luffy tilted his head.

"No it's not. You hold the end of the box, and I'll grab the tree, and maybe we can pull it out that way." Luffy reasoned. Zoro shrugged.

"Whatever." he replied and grabbed the bottom of the box. Luffy got a hold on the tree and pulled! There was a rip and a tear and the box came loose, ripped around the top and bottom. Luffy blinked at the mass of fake tree in his hands before looking up at Zoro. The swordsman shrugged again.

"At least it's out." he commented before dropping the box and looking around the room, "Maybe over in the corner by the window?" he suggested. Luffy nodded.

"Yeah, and then we could put the lights up in the window." he replied. Zoro nodded. He moved over to the window, and Luffy followed, carrying the spiky tree as best he could. Placing it down, Luffy began bending the branches out and he placed the top of the tree onto the small hole in the middle of the base. Zoro watched from where he was leaning against the wall, his eyes nearly drooping shut a couple of times.

"There." Luffy finally announced. The tree, admittedly, looked better now that it's branches were out and the top of it was on. It stood just a few inches higher than Zoro and the swordsman raised an eyebrow at it before smiling.

"Looks great, now, I'm going to bed." and he hurried out of the room.

"Zoroooo!" Luffy whined and the swordsman stopped. Nami hadn't meant just put the tree up. She had wanted the decorations and everything done. Luffy had pulled out the decorations and he was looking at them in a lost fashion.

"Yeah, here." Zoro muttered as he took the tinsel and lights from Luffy's hands. The boy watched as Zoro wrapped the tinsel around the tree a few times and then began sticky taping the lights to the window. Of course, lights aren't meant to be put up, and they fell down, the sticky tape ripping off the smooth surface of the window easily. Zoro growled and put the lights back up, placing heaps upon heaps of sticky tape over the top of them. He stopped and turned away, preparing to plug them in when there was a quiet rip and Luffy said,

"Zoro. They came down again." Zoro spun around, murder glinting in his eyes ad he grabbed the lights and put them on the window before grabbing some super glue and gluing them there, placing the sticky tape over the top. He was tired, he was grumpy and quite basically, he was Zoro. And he wasn't going to be defeated by some stubborn Christmas lights. He watched them carefully until Luffy prodded his shoulder and held a large star out in askance.

Zoro pointed at the top of the tree and then turned back to see the lights had come back down again. The swordsman nearly went ballistic. He was teetering on the edge of going plum crazy! Grabbing the lights again, he put everything sticky he could think of on top of them. Sticky tape, blu-tac, glue, masking tape, and even some of Nami's nail polish, but nothing would work. Those lights were just way too stubborn.

Finally, Zoro gave up, dropping to the floor and gazing up at the multi-coloured fairy lights with dark, and loathing eyes. Usopp walked into the room, spotted the problem and went over, sticking the lights up with his thumb before walking off. Zoro blinked when the lights stayed there and then growled low in his throat and stood, glaring at the lights.

"Fucked up, heaps of shit." he growled before turning to where Luffy, who he had taken his eyes off for more than three minutes, was now wound around the tree, rubber limbs sticking out at unhealthy angles.

"Zo… ro." Luffy groaned and then grinned when the swordsman began walking over, "I got the star up!" he announced triumphantly.

"How the hell did you manage to do this?" Zoro asked as he inspected Luffy's knotted legs and arms, and the mix of tinsel that went with it. He was never going to get to bed.

After at least an hour of untangling Luffy from the tree, they had managed to decorate it and Nami had claimed Luffy and carted him off to her bedroom. Zoro was asleep in the chair, too tired to go back to his own bed.

---

"But Nami! Hey,get it off!" Zoro raised an eyebrow at the shut door to Nami's room before yawning and sitting up.

"Robin, help!" Luffy yelled. Zoro sighed, ignoring the sounds.

"I am not wearing that!" and this time Zoro spun around in his chair, "Nami! I am not wearing that... I may be stupid... but I'm not **that **stupid!"

"Robin, a little help?" Nami's voice called. Sounds of banging, yelling and Nami swearing were heard and Zoro listened interestedly. Just what **were **they doing to Luffy in there? Next thing he knew, Luffy had been pushed out of Nami's room and the door had been slammed behind him.

Luffy stood in front of Zoro, dressed in a bright blue short dress with sphagetti straps. His hair had been brushed and gelled so it was in pig tails, and he wore black mascara and red lipstick. He also wore a pair of blue high heels and he fell sideways, his face pale under the foundation.

A christmas bow was set on top of Luffy's hair, and he was holding a small wreath in his hand. Zoro blinked for a minute before clearing his throat and turning away slightly so Luffy wouldn't see the blush that came to his cheeks.

"Umm... that's err, different." he muttered. Luffy's eyes were wide with horror and then he suddenly ran past Zoro, straight into his room where he slammed the door. Nami poked her head out and frowned.

"You scared him off Zoro!" she growled. Zoro frowned back.

"What the hell did you do to him?" he asked. Nami blinked before smiling slyly.

"Don't tell me that Luffy in a dress didn't turn you on, Zoro? And besides, it was your christmas present." Zoro stiffened and a vein flickered in his temple.

"No it did not! And it is not!" and standing, he stormed to Luffy's door. Nami snickered before going back into her room and closing the door. Zoro lifted a hand and gently knocked.

"Hey... Luffy?" he asked.

"What?" Luffy replied.

"You okay?"

"Mhm. You can come in if you want." Zoro opened the door and peeked in. Luffy had changed into a pair of old, very baggy jeans and a blue shirt. He still wore the makeup and the bow though. He was sitting on the bed and he looked up as Zoro entered.

"Umm... you're still wearing the makeup." and the swordsman smiled half-heartedly. Luffy blinked and frowned.

"I can't get the stupid stuff off! Especially the black stuff on my eyes!" he cried and rubbed furiously at his face, which only proved to rub black and red stripes all over his skin.

"Here." and Zoro moved into the bathroom. Luffy jumped up and followed. Grabbing a washer from under the basin, Zoro dipped it under the tap and wet it before grabbing Luffy's cheek and gently rubbing the washer over his eyes. The mascara took a little bit of rubbing, but eventually it came off.

"How do you know how to get this stuff off?" Luffy asked before Zoro rubbed the washer over the boy's lips.

"Nami seemed to think that I had a crush on Usopp... and Sanji... and Chopper. She's done this four times now." he replied. Luffy blinked.

"And did you?"

"What?"

"Have a crush on Usopp, Sanji or Chopper!"

"No!" and Zoro opened the washer up fully, placed it over his palm and then rubbed it in Luffy's face. Luffy spluttered before grabbing it off.

"Why not?" he asked. Zoro frowned.

"Why not what?" he sighed as he walked out of the bathroom. Luffy followed, holding the washer in his hand.

"Why didn't you have a crush on Usopp, Sanji or Chopper?"

"... you're kidding right?" Zoro asked, incredulous. Luffy shook his head innocently, "Because Usopp likes Kaya, and I don't like him that way, Sanji is a retarded bastard who only has eyes for Nami and Chopper's a reindeer. Does that answer your question?"

"Mhm. So Nami thought you had a crush on me then?"

"Apparently." by now, Zoro had sat down on the floor and was leaning back against the bed.

"Do you?" and Luffy sat on the bed, swinging his legs back and forth as he leaned back. Zoro faltered and almost fell over sideways, his eyes going wide.

"No!" but a bright red blush was creeping over his face... wait, scratch creeping, it was speeding! He grabbed at his collar and stood suddenly, "I... have to go and organise some.. uh, stuff! Papers and things..." and Zoro hurried out and closed the door behind him. Luffy blinked at the closed door before a small smile stole over his features.

---

Luffy awoke on Christmas day and discovered that it was still dark outside. Having only just done his shopping yesterday (admittedly with Nami helping him) he now had a pile of wrapped presents at the end of his bed that he had yet to put in front of the tree. Nami had put hers there last night, and Luffy had been itching to just go on over and rip open his, but Nami had warned him not to otherwise he would be in serious debt to her.

Luffy didn't understand what debt was, but it sounded bad. He grinned and jumped out of bed in his shorts and t-shirt. Grabbing the presents, he hurried to the door, wound his rubber arm around and around the presents about five times, before opening the door knob.

He paused a moment, waiting quietly to see if anyone else was up, and when no sounds could be heard, Luffy bolted from the room and into the lounge room, placing the presents under the tree, and then bolting back to his own room. He was nearly there when a sleepy Sanji emerged from the doorway beside him. Luffy paused and looked over at Sanji, who gazed back at him before smiling and waving a hand in greeting.

"Mornin' Luffy. Merry Christmas." and he went to the kitchen. Luffy grinned.

"Merry Christmas Sanji!" Luffy returned and then went back into his room again to get changed. They were planning on having a celebration for Chopper's birthday on Christmas day as well. Saved time, and then Sanji could make some extra special food. When he emerged again, it was to find Nami sitting at the table, and Sanji standing beside her with his back to Luffy. Nami seemed greatly upset by something, and Luffy tilted his head before moving silently through the doorway and heading towards Zoro's room.

He didn't knock on the door, but instead just snuck into the room. Spotting the swordsman laying on the bed, one leg still under the blanket while the rest of him was spread eagle. Luffy chuckled quietly to himself as he crept over to the bed. Leaning over Zoro's face, he grinned widely.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Luffy yelled as loudly as he could. Zoro jumped about a mile in the air, looking around wildly and breathing heavily. Meanwhile, Luffy was rolling around on the floor, laughing like a loony.

"Damnit Luffy!" Zoro yelled and jumped off the bed, landing on top of the boy and wrestling him. Luffy growled and flipped them over, straddling Zoro's hips and pinning Zoro's shoulders to the floor. Zoro frowned and pulled his knees up, grabbed Luffy's waist and pushed him over, this time, his knees on either side of Luffy's hips and his arms around the boy's waist.

Luffy grinned up at Zoro, and Zoro suddenly realized where he was. Shock, embarrassment and adrenaline pumped through his body, at least it did until Luffy threw him backwards, rubber arms winding around his biceps and pinning him to the wall.

"I win!" he announced. Zoro sighed, a little upset, and a little thankful that Luffy had thrown him off.

"Yeah yeah. Let me go now." Zoro replied. Luffy grinned and did as he was told, unwinding his arms and getting back to his feet. Zoro stood and brushed off his pants before glaring down at Luffy.

"Well?" he asked. Luffy blinked back at him.

"What?"

"I would like to get changed."

"Oh. Okay." and Luffy just stayed right where he was.

"Out." Zoro ordered. Luffy blinked and then grinned.

"Okay!" and he ran out the door, "Come out quick Zoro!" and then he closed the door. Zoro grumbled for a bit before going into the bathroom and getting changed for the day.

Luffy bounced around the lounge room, Nami and Robin sitting on the lounge chair, Sanji leaning against it, smoking idly as he watched Usopp and Chopper play cards. Luffy did another lap, and as he came around the lounge, Zoro walked out, hands stuff in his pockets. The swordsman reached out a hand and grabbed the back of Luffy's shirt, jerking the boy back and dropping him to the floor.

"Zoroooo!" Luffy whined. Zoro looked down and smiled in a self-satisfied way.

"Payback for winning this morning." he said before making for one of the empty lounges, and sprawling into it. He yawned widely, not bothering to cover it with his hand.

"Cover your mouth when you yawn." Sanji growled.

"Ah go to hell." Zoro replied. Sanji rolled his eyes, but Nami put a hand on his arm and stilled him. Only, it didn't still him, just made Sanji wriggle like a noodle and spout compliments faster than a running tap.

"Are we all ready?" Usopp asked. Luffy ran over to Zoro and sat down in front of the chair, right between the swordsman's legs, and watched Usopp excitedly. Zoro raised an eyebrow at Luffy and then decided to just let the matter go. It really wasn't worth it. Sanji and Nami threw him leering looks, but Zoro ignored them. He was too tired to care.

"Come on Usopp." Nami commented, resting her elbow on the armrest, and then placing her head in her hand. She didn't look very happy at all, and Luffy briefly wondered what was wrong, but he was interrupted and distracted when Usopp spoke.

"Okay everyone. Pearl tradition dictates that, the person giving the present, must give the present themselves, to the person it is meant for. And because it's Chopper's birthday, we have to give him his presents first. Okay?" Usopp explained. Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Okay!" Luffy and Chopper cheered before jumping up. Robin simply grew some arms out of the floor, and passed the presents along, cherry blossoms sprinkling the floor before disappearing.

"Thankyou Robin." Chopper commented when the first present reached him. He didn't unwrap it at once, just let it rest in a spot while he gave out the rest of his presents. Everyone gave out the presents, Zoro was the last to do so as he was too lazy to get up anyway, and then everyone was back in their places, unwrapping their presents.

"Oh coool!" Luffy cried as he unwrapped a red hoodie with a black skull and crossbones on the front. He looked over at Nami and grinned, "Thanks Nami!"

"You're welcome Luffy." she replied, smiling a little painfully. Sanji laid a hand on her shoulder, but she took no notice of it. Luffy also received a train set from Chopper, a full set of paints, pens and a large calico canvas from Usopp. Sanji got him a new bedspread with pirate crossbones, swords and what looked like little silver jewels and things. When Luffy grinned at Sanji, the chef shrugged, otherwise saying that he had no idea what Luffy would want.

Robin had given Luffy a new set of red pyjamas, which Luffy couldn't wait to try out, and Zoro had gotten him… Luffy gazed at the present in his hand for a few minutes before looking up at Zoro who wouldn't meet his eyes. Luffy grinned widely. He had gone looking for this for ages but had never been able to find it. The robot he had wanted from before he had become a member of Pearl. The box was heavy, but Luffy didn't let that stop him. He put it carefully down, and turned to Zoro.

"Thanks Zoro!" He cried and jumping up, he gave Zoro a big bear hug.

"Hey… get-get off- ah forget it. You're welcome." Zoro replied. He had only just gotten through unwrapping his second present. The first had been from Robin, and she had gotten him an interesting book on the history of the Katana. Nami had given him a black, leather jacket and she had forgotten his debt that he owed her. Usopp had given him a small wooden clock to put on his wall. Zoro hoped he could put up with the ticking.

Sanji had given him an expensive, and rather stylish pair of sunglasses and a pair of leather gloves. Zoro had no idea why, but they looked cool anyway. Chopper had gotten him a pair of rather awesome, dark green coloured boots. And Luffy had gotten him a sword belt.

It went around the waist, and at the side was three small cloth covered pieces of elastic to hold his swords. The belt itself was made of dark leather, with carvings on either side of a lightning shaped buckle, and at the back it had a print of a Katana. The more Zoro looked at it, the more he liked it too.

"Uh… Luffy?" he muttered. Luffy, who had been being thanked by Usopp, turned to him with a large grin, "Uh… thanks." and Zoro held up the belt. Luffy grinned widely.

"You're welcome Zoro!" he replied. The day passed by with Usopp, Chopper, Luffy and even Robin singing Christmas carols while Zoro watched on in amusement and then frowning when Luffy asked him to join in.

"Believe me, you don't want to hear his singing voice." Usopp commented quietly to Luffy.

"I heard that!" Zoro growled and Usopp cringed. Zoro then went to find some alcohol he could drink. After all, what was Christmas without at least a little bit of alcohol? Finding a half empty bottle of rum in the fridge, he took it and then sauntered back into the lounge room to find Usopp and Luffy were playing a game of hide and seek.

Chopper and Robin were sitting together in one of the lounges, the older woman scratching the reindeer behind the ears. Zoro looked around and it was then that he noticed two people missing. Nami and Sanji. He raised an eyebrow and then shrugged, turning back to his drink and watching as Luffy tried to hide behind the Christmas tree.

"Luffy, I can see your feet." Zoro commented. Luffy's head popped out the middle of the tree and he frowned.

"Really?" and then he looked down before laughing, "Ha, okay! Then I guess I'll have to find somewhere else!" and he ran off. Zoro just shook his head.

---

Nami sighed as she leant back against the wall. Why did it have to affect her so much? Why did she always have to spoil things by thinking about it?

"Hey, Nami-san. Are you okay?" Sanji's voice asked as he walked into the entrance room. Nami looked up and smiled.

"Of course Sanji. Why?" she asked, putting on a big smile. Sanji tilted his head to the side and regarded her in a worried way.

"Please Nami-san. I don't like to see such a beautiful lady, so upset." he said. Nami smiled and bowed her head.

"Thankyou Sanji-kun. But really, I'm okay." she replied. Sanji tilted his head once again and then moved to sit beside her. He stretched out his long legs and crossed them at the ankles.

"You know… it's strange isn't it?" he asked. Nami looked up to see Sanji regarding the wall across the room from them.

"What?"

"Luffy." he replied and turned to her with a small smile, "He's never had Christmas before. Strange."

"Yeah… I guess." and she turned towards the wall Sanji had been looking at as well.

"But it looks like he's enjoying it. Even marimo head's having fun. I haven't seen him smile that much since… well, ever."

"Yeah." Nami mumbled. She knew what Sanji was doing. He was trying to provoke her into telling him what was wrong. Maybe she should tell him. After all, she had put him off this morning already. But she ran the risk of being pitied, and treated like she was made of glass and fragile, if she told. And she didn't want that, especially not from Sanji. He treated her special, but he never treated her like she was fragile. She hated being treated like that.

"I know what you're doing Sanji." she said, lifting her face to look up at him. Sanji turned to her and cocked his head to the side.

"What am I doing?" he asked but he had a small knowing smile on his face. Nami chuckled.

"Don't play coy with me. I know what you're doing. I do that all the time." she replied. Sanji raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Oh stop it." and she gave his shoulder a nudge before sighing, "You know I told you my mother and my sister were dead?" Sanji nodded but didn't say anything, "Well, it was because of Arlong. And it was on Christmas day that he did it. Just walked right in on our dinner… and killed them. I ran for it and ended up here and decided to join."

"How long ago?" Sanji asked softly.

"About… three years now I think." she replied and stared at the wall as her eyes watered, "He didn't even say why. Just… did it." and she sighed, "So that's why."  
"Oh Nami-san." Sanji said softly, watching her carefully. Nami shook her head and frowned.

"Don't do that." she responded harshly, "Don't feel sorry for me. I don't want that."

"I…" and Sanji trailed off before taking a deep breath, "I don't feel sorry for you Nami, I feel… concerned for you. Because you aren't able to enjoy this day." Nami looked up. That, to her, sounded like a runaround way of saying that yes, he did feel sorry for her. But, it also sounded like he genuinely meant what he had said.

"Thanks Sanji." she replied. Sanji smiled.

"Anytime Nam-" but he was cut off as Nami leant up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Sanji blinked for a minute before jumping off the seat and wriggling around, shouting, "Mellorine!" and then collapsing to the floor with a heart beating in his eye.

Nami smiled and shook her head lightly, but she couldn't deny the feeling she had had when she had kissed Sanji just then… and on the night they had played Truth or dare. Leaving Sanji to his twitching on the floor of the entrance room, Nami returned to the lounge room to find Zoro had taken up playing a racing game with Usopp, Chopper and Luffy.

He was currently winning, but Nami had a nasty feeling that if the swordsman didn't win, he would probably break the controller. She made a mental note then and there to make sure she bought a new one next time she went shopping. Robin smiled at her as she sat down and Nami smiled in return.

"Where is cook-san?" Robin asked. Nami smiled and jerked her head towards the entrance room.

"Dying of happiness… apparently." she replied and turned back to the game in front of her.

"Zoroooo!" Luffy whined and then suddenly wrapped a hand around Zoro's eyes. This caused Zoro's car to go off the road and land in a ditch, while Luffy's little blue beetle car went flying past and won the race. Luffy jumped up, waving his hands in the air. Zoro growled, sighed and shrugged. There was nothing he could do about it. But he would make sure he won next time.

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**!!MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!**


	17. A new year

**Okay, so, I don't know what to do about this story. I could make it longer, but, people lost interest the more Fugitives went on. So, I really don't know what to do. So, I ask all my readers to tell me if this is okay. I am planning on trying to reach 25 chapters in order to try and beat Fugitives' length. And the way it's going, I will, but, will people lose interest if I do that? Now, please reply honestly. And tell me if 25 is okay, please? I've probably already written the rest by now, but, if you could still tell me?**

**This chapter I was listening to Evanescence, My last breath. It kind of influenced this chapter, and even if you just get the lyrics and look at them, you'll understand how.**

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_**Chapter 17: A new year, and as new war**_

Christmas had passed by, and New years came quickly after it. Luffy had seen his brother a couple of times over the holidays, but now, it was time to return to work. Luffy was also rather disturbed to hear that the beginning of the year was the worst time for murders, robberies, accidents that weren't actually accidents, and in turn, all of these meant there were going to be more and more missions for Pearl to deal with.

"Luffy!" Zoro's voice came through his door at about three in the morning. Luffy moaned.

"Not another one." he muttered.

"Yeah. Get up! Quick! We're joining up with Smoker's Marines, and the Beards." and Luffy was up straight away, having learner over the holidays that a) his brother was second in command of the Beards and b) his brother was having a relationship with Smoker. This kind of confused Luffy, but he was happy for Ace all the same. Luffy changed into an outfit that would be good for fighting, and then ran out into the kitchen, his stomach rumbling already.

"Why are we joining up?" Nami asked as she looked over a map in front of her.

"Because, we're fighting against joint Buggy and Love and Merman. They're trying to start and all out war." Zoro replied. Nami paused at hearing 'Merman' and then went back to her map. Sanji glanced at her, but didn't say or do anything. She had warned him against feeling sorry for her, but nothing she could say could stop that. He just wouldn't show it. Luffy looked up interestedly from his meal.

"Why do they want a war?" he asked.

"Because they want to be able to do what they want, when they want. And getting rid of Pearl, Smoker's Marines, and the Beards will help them on their way to doing so." Sanji replied. Zoro nodded in agreement.

"Exactly."

"Can't we just tell the government and get them to deal with it?" Usopp asked. Zoro shook his head.

"No. That's why they delegated the task to us."

"What are they doing to try and start the war?" Robin asked. Once again she looked like she hadn't had any sleep. Zoro eyed her suspiciously for a second before shrugging.

"Murdering, destroying things. They've killed at least twenty innocent people already. And that's just in one night." he replied. Everyone around the table gasped, and Luffy frowned.

"They can't do that!" he growled. Zoro shook his head.

"But they did. So we have to stop them. Understand?" Zoro replied and looked back at the rest of the table. Sanji whisked away the empty plates and returned within a minute. Zoro shot them all dark, but trusting glares.

"Do anything to stop them. The government has given us permission to kill. If that's what it takes… then do it." Zoro explained. Sanji's face was grim, Nami placed a hand over her mouth, Usopp was shaking but looking determined. Chopper, despite his fur, had gone pale and Robin bowed her head. Luffy was determined, and his lips were compressed into a thin line.

"All right. Everyone head off, get your stuff together, and then meet up in the entrance room. Luffy, I want to talk to you." Zoro ordered. The rest of Pearl nodded and hurried away. Luffy stayed and turned to Zoro.

"Yeah?" he asked. Zoro pressed his lips together and then licked them, preparing to tell Luffy something that he knew Luffy wouldn't like.

"Luffy… when I originally got you to join, it was just as a member to replace the one we lost. But… I have to ask you a favour." Zoro said in a low voice. Luffy tilted his head, "I want you to promise me something. When we're out there fighting, there's a good chance that I might not survive." and Luffy gasped.

"But Zoro!" he cried. Zoro shushed him.

"I'm a leader Luffy, and you remember what I told you about the leaders. So, I want you to promise me, that if I get killed… that you'll look after Pearl. Alright?" Zoro asked. Luffy blinked at him and then frowned deeply.

"No." he replied stubbornly. Zoro paused. He had expected Luffy to agree to that.

"What?"

"I said no. Zoro, you're not going to be killed because I won't let that happen. You're the best friend I've ever had, and you're a good leader of Pearl. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." and then Luffy said something that made Zoro feel like hugging, and punching Luffy at the same time.

"Zoro, if you look like you're going to be shot, stabbed, killed… I won't let that happen. I'll stop them… with my own body if I have to." and Luffy watched him carefully before standing and walking away. Zoro's breathing suddenly became ragged and he clenched a fist on the table top in front of him. Luffy was going to protect him. If something happened to Luffy, he would do the same. But… he hadn't expected or asked Luffy to look after _him._ Frowning, Zoro went back to his own bedroom.

---

It was barely half an hour before the group met in the entrance room. Luffy was leaning against the wall, and for the first time, he looked like he was deep in thought and almost troubled. Zoro was last to come back, and he also looked like he was annoyed about something. He looked over at Luffy as he entered, and the boy watched him in return.

"Everyone ready?" he asked, deciding to ignore the look for now.

"Yes, sir." the group replied.

"Hurry up Marimo." Sanji added on the end. Zoro smiled grimly and led the way out of Pearl. Standing outside, was Ace. He was by himself.

"Zoro." Ace said as the leader of Pearl exited. Luffy looked around.

"Where's the rest of your group Ace?" Luffy asked. Ace glanced down at Luffy and frowned. He looked mad.

"They're gone." he replied, looking up at Zoro. Zoro frowned.

"What happened?" he asked. Ace shook his head.

"I was out, and the whole installation where we were based… blew. No one survived." Ace replied, and his shoulders flickered into fire while his fists were clenched at his side. Luffy gasped.

"Heard anything from Smoker's Marines?" Zoro asked. Ace nodded.

"They're waiting for us on the east side of town. And we've got Krieg's coming to join us. Ghin heard about what happened, and volunteered." Ace replied. Zoro nodded.

"Good. Then let's go." he said and the group, plus Ace, moved forward. Luffy moved over next to his brother.

"They're gone little bro. My friends… Whitebeard." Ace began even before Luffy had said anything. Luffy nodded and put a hand on his older brother's shoulder.

"We'll make sure that they pay, Ace." he said. Ace smiled at Luffy and nodded.

"Thanks Luffy. I knew I could count on you." and Luffy grinned.

"Of course! I'm your brother, you're supposed to count on me!" and he laughed cheerily. Ace had to chuckle, Luffy's laugh was just… infectious. Zoro glanced over his shoulder at Luffy… and a shadow seemed to come over the boy's face. Ace looked between them and then glanced over at Sanji, who was also watching the two. The chef shrugged in response and Ace looked down at Luffy.

"Hey, is there something bothering you?" Ace asked. Luffy turned and grinned.

"Nope." he replied.

"You sure?"

"Yep!"

"Okay. Whatever." Ace replied and then looked ahead.

_3...2...1..._

"Ace?"

"Yeah Luffy?" he replied. Boy, he sure could predict his little brother.

"Zoro asked me to do something. He said… if he died, he wants me to take over Pearl." Luffy explained in a quiet voice. Ace nodded.

"That's a good request."

"But, I don't want Zoro to die! He can't!"

"Luffy, he's a leader so, there's a good chance he'll be a target. No, he may not die, but then, yes he could. He wasn't saying he was going to. He was just taking precautions." Ace explained. Luffy nodded sullenly.

"I guess."

"So will you?"

"…I guess."

"I'm sure it'll help Zoro."

"Yeah. Okay Ace."

"That's my bro." and Ace gave Luffy a noogie. It didn't take long for them to reach the East side and when they did, Luffy was a little surprised when he saw the group standing there. He saw Smoker and tilted his head.

"Uh… that's Smoker?" Luffy asked. Ace shrugged.

"Yeah."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry Luffy, you're too young to understand." and Ace moved to stand next to Smoker. Luffy blinked. What was that supposed to mean? Oh well, didn't matter. Zoro moved over to where Smoker, Ace and Ghin were standing.

"Zoro." Ghin greeted him.

"Roronoa." Smoker grunted. Tashigi moved over to them, and she looked warily at Luffy. The boy grinned and Tashigi blinked before bowing slightly in return. Luffy didn't know what he had done, and that it had been her who he had hit. But not her who had shot him.

Sanji was glaring at a massive man with a large shield on his chest, and smaller shields on the tops of his hands, shoulders and head. In the centre of each shield, was a large pearl. Luffy blinked as Sanji turned away, crossing his arms and blowing out a long puff of smoke. The chef spotted Luffy, who tilted his head. Sanji raised a curly eyebrow and then shrugged again before walking over. Luffy stuck his hands in his pockets as Sanji approached.

"I don't like him." he announced. Luffy looked past Sanji at the man, who was now laughing about something one of his friends had said.

"Why?"

"Because the son of a bitch betrayed Ghin a while back. And Ghin let him back." Sanji growled. Luffy blinked before frowning.

"What did he do?"

"Tried to break Krieg out of jail, failed, blamed it on Ghin and then tried to kill Ghin."

"Oh. Wow. He's a bad guy."

"Exactly." Sanji replied before dropping his cigarette butt to the ground and grinding a heel onto it. Nami, Robin and Chopper had grouped up together and were standing to the side as the leaders discussed their plans. Luffy sidled over to stand beside Zoro, listening interestedly.

"We'll have to ki-" but Ghin cut off as he saw Luffy standing there. Zoro blinked and looked down by his side before resting an arm on Luffy's shoulder.

"He's alright." Zoro replied to Ghin's unasked question. Ace, who was standing beside Smoker, looked around at his little brother, studying him for a moment before smiling wryly and leaning back. Luffy grinned brightly, and listened. The conversation wasn't exactly that interesting.

The leaders were just talking about what happened to the Beards, who could have possibly targeted them, and where they were to go. Luffy yawned silently, watching as the sky turned to a light orange, and then the sun began to rise in the distance. Watching it carefully, Luffy didn't notice that Zoro's arm had never left his shoulder. Resting there comfortably and when Luffy finally noticed that it was still there, he found he really didn't mind it.

"Alright, we should probably get moving. The ship leaves at eight." Smoker said gruffly.

"Ship?" Luffy asked. Zoro looked down and frowned.

"You… haven't been listening, have you." he stated, not even bothering to make it a question. Luffy grinned.

"Nope!" he replied brightly. Zoro sighed.

"Nami, Robin, Sanji, Chopper, Usopp." Zoro called in quick succession, removing his arm from Luffy's shoulder and making the boy pout. Zoro didn't notice though. As soon as he had called all of his group to attention, he beckoned them over.

"What are we to do swordsman-san?" Robin asked. Zoro watched them for a minute.

"We have to go overseas. A ship is ready for us." Zoro explained, "We know who the guy behind it all, is." and his eyes flicked towards Luffy for a second before turning back to the group. Luffy blinked, wondering why Zoro had looked at him like that. The rest of the group either ignored the look, or frowned slightly.

"When do we leave?" Sanji asked, "And who's coming with?"

"Just us, Luffy's brother, Smoker and Tashigi. We leave in three hours." Zoro answered.

"What about the rest of them?" Usopp asked, pointing at Smoker, and Ghin's retreating backs. Zoro shook his head.

"They're heading off to look after the war."

"Why aren't we?" Luffy asked.

"Because we've got a more important mission. And we've got the most powerful members." and a small flash of pride showed in Zoro's face before he frowned again, "Let's get back and pack only essentials. Clothes for a week, and your gadgets."

"Right." the rest of the group agreed. Luffy turned back and saw Ace walking with Smoker, an arm looped casually around the older man's back. Luffy blinked, grinned and then turned back to Zoro. As the members of Pearl began hurrying towards home, Luffy copied Ace, looping an arm around Zoro's back.

The swordsman seemed to stiffen under the touch, and he blinked down at Luffy, but the younger male just smiled as if nothing was wrong and continued walking side by side with his leader. Zoro sighed, before the arm hanging between the two, his own, became annoying and uncomfortable, so he draped it over Luffy's shoulder, glaring at Sanji and Nami's backs as if daring them to turn around and say anything. They were having their own conversation.

"Why do you think Zoro looked at Luffy like that?" Nami asked softly. Sanji shook his head.

"It has to be Crocodile. It has to be." the older man replied. Nami nodded.

"Yeah. But what I'm wondering is… why is he after Luffy?" she asked, her voice going quieter.

"I don't know. Maybe he's just trying to kill him, like he did with Kuina. Maybe he's trying to recruit him." Sanji shrugged. Nami shook her head.

"I don't want Luffy to die." She whispered, glancing quickly over her shoulder, "He's too valuable."

"Yeah." and Sanji glanced back, "Hey!" and he jerked his head back at the two behind them. Nami blinked and looked back out of the corner of her eye.

"I knew it." Nami whispered, quickly facing the path ahead as Zoro's eyes came to rest on her back. Sanji grinned at her.

"He has a real thing for rookies, doesn't he?" the chef teased. Nami giggled before sighing.

"I don't know Sanji. I… don't think this mission is going to be safe." she mumbled. Sanji blinked. He had never heard Nami doubt her own safety before. Not in the quiet, literally scared way she was now. Usually, it was hard and dangerous doubt. Nami threatened Zoro or one of the others to look after her while they were out. And it was quite a surprise to Sanji that a woman who seemed so strong to him, had suddenly become small and frightened. He smiled before bending down just a little and whispering in her ear.

"It's okay Nami-san. I'll look after you. I promise." and he stood straight again, grinning at her. Nami blinked at him for a second before turning and looking across the road.

"I don't need your protection." she growled. But Sanji could tell she didn't mean it and he smiled and turned away, "But I'm grateful for it." and she laid a hand on the chef's shoulder.

"Mellorine! Of course Nami-swaaan!" and he wriggled around, "You're quite welcome!" Nami sighed before smiling as Sanji skipped around her, wriggling like a noodle and shouting 'Mellorine!' and 'Nami-san is grateful to me!'. Robin was the only one to turn around and glance at Nami, a wry smile tweaking her lips. Nami winked at her and Robin placed a hand over her mouth as she laughed lightly.

Zoro sneered as Sanji danced around like a fool.

"Moron." he muttered.

"Zoro?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"I guess."

"Why did you look at me back there?"

"Back where?"

"When you were saying about who the guy behind everything is."

"… right. Well, you remember the explosion at the music store… and I said you were a target?"

"Yeah."

"Well… we all think we know who it is who's after you."

"Who?"

"Crocodile."

"Eh?"

"Mr Zero. Remember? Sanji mentioned it ages ago."

"No. Sorry."

"Ah, never mind. Anyway, he's a big politician. But he's also involved in dark underground business. Drugs, slaves, alcohol, weapons. Everything illegal."

"Wow." Luffy mumbled in awe. Zoro nodded.

"Yeah. He's pretty big. And now he's started this war. And I don't know why. But I'm going to find out."

"Me too!"

"… you're not afraid?"

"No. Why would I be?"

"Well, he's kind of dangerous." Zoro replied.

"Well, I'm kinda of dangerous too, ne?" and Zoro had to laugh.

"Yeah. You are."

Robin bowed her head, focusing on the ground in front of her. In her pocket, there was a faint buzz as her phone went off. Picking it out, she looked at it… and her eyes widened before she sighed.

"What is it Robin?" Chopper asked, smiling up at her. Robin smiled back.

"Nothing small one. Just a message from a friend." she replied. Chopper tilted his head and then nodded, grinning.

"Ok!" he replied brightly before going up to Usopp and asking for a story. Robin could feel the revulsion rising inside her. Why had she agreed to do this? It all seemed so… pointless now. She should never have agreed to start anything. Join Pearl. Reveal her powers. Anything like that. She should have just lived her life out like she had been doing.

"I'm sorry…" she mouthed before stopping and turning to face Zoro and Luffy.

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_**!!Happy New Year!!**_

**Ha ha! Cliffie. -is hit by all sorts of hard objects until she is knocked to the ground in a heap- T-thanks a lot... -gasp-**

**Reviews would be appreciated! Please please please! **


	18. Betrayal

**Hope everyone's Christmas and New Year was fun and no one was hurt or... anything! And now we're in 2007! My gawd. Seems like last year just went like a snap. -shakes head- anyway. Hope you enjoy the chappie! **

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_**Chapter 18: Betrayal**_

Zoro blinked at Robin standing in front of him.

"What's wrong Robin?" Luffy asked, tilting his head and smiling. Zoro's eyes narrowed and he slowly pulled his arm off of Luffy's shoulders. Robin just stared back at them, before she rose her arms and crossed them over her chest. Zoro made for his swords, but arms appeared from his shoulders and grabbed his wrists, holding him back. Luffy blinked at Robin and then suddenly found himself swept off his feet, two hands holding his ankles to the ground.

"Hold still rookie-san. I do not wish to hurt you." Robin said.

"Robin!" Nami called, hurrying to her friend's side. Usopp pulled out his slingshot in place of his gun, but a hand appeared and swatted it from his fingers, throwing it across the street and into the grass on the other side. Usopp gulped and ran for it, but hands appeared at his ankles and knocked him down.

"Robin-chan!" Sanji cried, but didn't make a move to hurt her. He would never hurt a lady.

"Stay away cook-san." Robin warned in a soft voice. Luffy twisted around, using his rubber powers to try and get at her, but Robin made another five hands appear, and they held the boy to the ground. Zoro tried to run for her, but the arms in his shoulder blades, pulled him back, painfully pulling at his wrists.

"Stay where you are swordsman." she said, her eyes closed. She had to concentrate to get this right. Sanji was the first. She swept him off his feet with two hands and then slammed his head into the pavement. The chef was out in an instant.

"Sanji!" Nami cried before releasing her clima-tact. Robin winced and pulled the clima-tact away.

"Don't." She warned, "See if he's alright." Nami frowned but did as she was told. She couldn't understand why this was happening. Robin had always been their friend, ever since she had first appeared outside the door to Pearl with Chopper at her side.

"You bitch." Zoro spat, glaring at her. Robin smiled serenely.

"I have never reacted to your remarks before swordsman-san, and I won't now." she replied. Zoro growled in the back of his throat, before wincing as the arms in his back, pulled painfully on his wrists. The next thing Zoro knew, was a blinding pain in the back of his skull, and then darkness. Chopper and Usopp were watching in horror from a distance. It just didn't seem real. Robin shook her head sadly before moving over to Luffy, who was twisting and turning, stretching and wriggling.

She continued to sprout arms to try and hold him down, but Luffy was sliding from under her palms. He really was a strong boy. Kneeling beside him, Robin leant down and held an arm poised over Luffy's back, hand straightening to give it a flat, almost blade like appearance. She closed her eyes, and sprouted another arm, that went straight through Luffy.

"I'm sorry rookie." she muttered as the boy's eyes went wide, and he coughed.

"Robin…" he muttered, looking up at her in shock before falling unconscious. Standing, she pulled him up and flipped the light boy over her shoulder. Looking back at Chopper and Usopp, she smiled mysteriously.

"Don't follow me." and then she walked away, hips swaying.

---

Groaning lightly, Sanji began to come to. His eyelids fluttered as a warm compress was pressed against his forehead. Brown eyes gazed down at him, and Sanji had to fight to not fall unconscious again.

"N-Nami-san?" he muttered before a throbbing pain went through his head, "O-oh." and he winced.

"Yes Sanji. Chopper said you have to lay still." Nami's voice came down to him. Sanji opened his eyes again and gazed up at her, before remembering what had happened.

"Robin-chan!" and he sat up. Nami frowned.

"Lay down Sanji!" she ordered, placing a hand against his chest and pushing him back down onto the bed again.

"Right Nami-san." he replied, but continued to feel troubled. Robin had betrayed them. How could she? He had trusted her. They all had. Sighing, he let his eyes drift to the side. The smell of sterile, and the white sheets underneath him indicated that they were in the small hospital room in Chopper's lab. He spotted a green head and frowned. Stupid bastard still wasn't awake. The bed wasn't too far away… maybe he could reach out and give him a kick. Not a hard one, just something to nudge him awake. Too late. Zoro's eyes snapped open and he sat up, looking around. Upon both spotting Nami and seeing that he was back in Pearl headquarters, he scowled.

"The hell are we doing back here?" he growled, swinging his legs off the side of the bed.

"Zoro, Chopper said you have to lie down." Nami hissed in return. She wasn't in a good mood at all, after everything that had happened today. She was hurt, confused, and didn't know what to do. Her words didn't even get through to the swordsman, for he had paused and was staring at Sanji. Something clicked inside him.

"Where's Luffy?" he asked, voice turning slightly deadly. Sanji, with his closeness to Nami, heard her breath catch. Blinking around the room, Sanji noticed that Luffy was indeed… not amongst their ranks.

"He's gone. Robin took him." Nami replied, dropping the sponge into a bucket with a loud splash and standing up. Wiping her hands on her skirt, she moved out of the room, her movements a little stiff like she was trying to keep herself pulled together. Zoro stared. Sanji knew exactly what was bugging him too. Not just the fact that Luffy, although he had only been with them for a few months, had had quite an impression upon the group.

Especially Zoro. After Kuina's death, Zoro had become pretty much a grumpy, tired, boring person who snapped at anyone that came near him. Well… he was like that now but, Luffy had changed him slightly. He seemed happier a lot more, and more inclined to smile and laugh.

"We lost him." Zoro muttered, to himself almost. Sanji shook his head, still unbelieving that Robin could have done such a thing. Suddenly, Zoro stood and Sanji scrambled out of the way as a leg came up underneath the bed and knocked it over. Standing in the corner, the chef glared at him.

"Destroying things isn't going to help you dumbass!" he yelled. Zoro turned blazing eyes upon the blonde.

"Then what do you propose? That **bitch **took him. I knew I should never have trusted her. Never!"

"Don't talk about Robin-chan that way!"

"She took Luffy! She smashed your head into the ground! And you still continue to stand up for her! You're a dickhead!"

"Maybe it wasn't her fault! Ever thought of that!?" Sanji yelled. His head throbbed, but he ignored it. Robin couldn't have done anything wrong, she just couldn't have! A lady would never do such a thing!

"Sanji!" Zoro yelled and the chef started at the fact that Zoro had used his name, "Stop it." and he walked out. Sanji frowned.

---

Luffy was awoken by something cold being pressed to his skin. The crook of his arm to be exact. Something like an ant bite… a needle! Luffy blinked down at the needle and then up at Robin, but her hair was shading her face.

"I'm sorry rookie-san." she murmured. Luffy tilted his head.

"Na Robin? Where are we?" he asked. Robin looked up.

"On a ship." she replied quietly before smiling, "Got to sleep." and the boy smiled lightly before his head dropped backwards onto the pillow again. Robin studied him quietly before turning away out of the cell and then moving out the steel door and up onto the deck. A jacket, flung over broad shoulders, was flickering before her and she bowed her head, a stern mask falling over her eyes.

"Is he asleep?" a rough voice asked. Robin nodded and put a hand on her hip.

"I'm not incapable." she replied, a bite to her voice. The voice chuckled.

"Of course not, my dear. I was just making sure."

"Tell me. Why do you want him so badly?"

"Because, the bracelet chose him."

"What?" and Robin's eyes widened slightly. She remembered that gold bracelet that Luffy had worn every now and again, and she hadn't even picked anything up about it. Mentally, she began beating herself for it.

"Oh come now Miss Sunday, you aren't dumb. Think dear lady." and he turned, revealing amber glowing eyes and a cruel smile that could be mistaken for one of honesty when on the television. Robin turned her face towards the ground.

"You want to use him… for that monster." she said clearly. The man smiled and lifted his chin up towards the sky and laughed.

"I knew you weren't dumb Miss Sunday."

---

Zoro stalked towards the docks, his mood as deep as the ocean he was heading toward. He was wearing a black jacket even though the sun was shining brightly above him, and the air was hot and humid. There would be a storm later. Moving around the last corner, he looked down a hill and spotted a bare back, black hair and a cowboy hat standing beside a white jacket, and silver hair.

Ace and Smoker. Ghin was leaning against a pole nearby, idly swinging his bar beside him. Fuck. Now he would have to tell them all! He had hoped to only meet up with Ace, but, that wasn't going to happen was it? Growling in the back of his throat, Zoro stopped behind Ace and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for them to turn.

"Roronoa." Smoker growled, turning and pulling one of his two cigars from his mouth. Zoro glared at him. He always got the feeling that the Marine captain wannabe didn't like him. Ace turned and looked around before focusing his gaze upon Zoro.

"Where's Luffy?" he asked interestedly. Zoro winced inwardly, but didn't show it on his face or in his body language. He wouldn't let them know how much Luffy had gotten under his skin. They had no right to know anyway… well, maybe Ace did but, he was Luffy's brother so that was expected.

"He's gone." the swordsman replied bluntly. Ace blinked, Smoker raised an eyebrow and Ghin looked up interestedly.

"Gone?" Ace asked, "Packing? Run off? What?" Here came the hard part.

"Nico Robin, betrayed the group and took off with him." Zoro grit out, his teeth clenching over the words. Ace blinked and Smoker looked a little stunned.

"Nico Robin?" Ace asked, sounding slightly incredulous. Zoro nodded. The fire manipulator blinked for a second before he fell forward. Smoker stuck out an arm, as though it were something he did everyday and with someone like Ace, you kinda learned to predict these things. Zoro stared at Luffy's older brother for a moment and Smoker seemed to pick up on what he was thinking.

"Portgas doesn't faint, Roronoa. He had a Narcoleptic fit." Smoker growled, and then he lifted the boy from his arm and laid him on the ground. Zoro frowned but didn't say anything.

"We're still going." Smoker said, turning back to Zoro. The swordsman frowned even deeper.

"And what about Luffy?" and then he closed his mouth too late. Smoker raised an eyebrow at him before smirking.

"Has that ice heart of yours finally melted, Roronoa?" he teased in a growling voice. Zoro growled and turned away.

"None of your fucking business you asshole. Fine. We go." and he stalked off. Smoker watched him go, smirk falling away to be replaced with a thoughtful frown. What the hell did Nico Robin want Luffy for?

---

Zoro burst back through the door to Pearl, slamming it behind him and making every member of the group jump. He stood in the entrance room, breath coming in short gasps. Running back had not been a good idea. Sanji made to take a step towards him, but Zoro swung a leg out and with a kick that Sanji had to admit, was pretty damn good, crunched the book shelf in half. He was pissed, that much was obvious. Nami frowned, stood and walked over to him confidently. Reaching a hand back, she slapped him good and hard. Zoro stood there, blinking rapidly before he raised a hand to his cheek and glared down at her.

"Stop acting like you're the only one who cares if Luffy is missing or not!" she hissed. Sanji stood blinking behind her, but also ready in case Zoro rose a hand against her. Usopp was watching from the table, a letter in his hand. He was going to drop it off at Kaya's shop before he left. Chopper had both hooves over his mouth. Zoro let out a deep breath between clenched teeth.

"I know the rest of you care. But I just had to tell Smoker, Ghin _and _Luffy's brother that I lost him."

"You lost him?" Usopp muttered and turned towards him, "Robin took him. Not you. You couldn't have done anything." Zoro's eyes narrowed, but Usopp stared determinedly back. Finally, the swordsman relaxed, instead choosing to stare at the now decimated book case. Dice and markers from board games that hadn't been played in years, lay everywhere. Cards and instruction booklets. Paper, pictures, and small figurines that had gathered on the shelves over the past few months while Luffy had been with them.

"We're leaving for Arabasta. Get your things." Zoro muttered and moved towards his room. Sanji glanced at Nami, who sighed and put a hand on her hip.

"So dramatic." she muttered, walking back towards her own room, muttering some more curses that were aimed at Zoro.

---

Luffy blinked as he was shoved out into the sunlight. It was so bright, he had to close his eyes for a few minutes before a familiar straw hat was pressed to his head. Sand crunched under his feet, and he attempted to open his eyes again. Finally, the aching stopped and the blurriness faded away to reveal an endless landscape of golden sand, broken only by the small city in the middle of his vision. A tall tower rose in the centre of it. An arm gripped his and Luffy turned to see Robin standing beside him, her face stern. Another arm gripped his other and he turned to see a man there. Luffy tilted his head at him, still fully trusting Robin despite what had happened.

"Keep your mouth shut boy." the man growled as they walked forward, coming onto a road that led straight into the city. Luffy frowned.

"Why?" he asked. Robin gave his arm a squeeze and Luffy looked up at her. She glanced at him and Luffy's lips twisted. He would stay silent, but only for her sake. A soft tinking sound grabbed Luffy's attention, and he looked to the side to see a row of humans, walking in a line towards the city. Chains went from each human and back to the next. Shackles around their feet, and ragged, dirty and sweaty clothes.

"Those people!" Luffy cried. The man beside him jerked his arm roughly, making Luffy stumble. Hang on… shouldn't he have just stretched? Luffy paused a moment, and then it hit him. His powers!

"Do not panic young one. They will return with time." Robin said beside him, her voice full of ice. Luffy suddenly felt lost. Something wasn't right here. He knew Robin was good, he knew she wouldn't do this… so why was she? It didn't make sense!

"Robin…" Luffy said softly. She glanced at him and smirked rather cruelly.

"Quiet." she snapped. Luffy drew away and then just followed the man and Robin as they led him into the city. Everywhere, there were well dressed people, ties and suits with another person standing beside them in rags. Dirty, and soulless eyes. Extremely tanned skin. Robin and the man paused as a dirty and ragged human ran past, an extremely beautiful woman in a power suit running after him.

"Get back here!" she shouted and held out what looked like a remote. Pressing a red button, the escaping human stopped, his body jerking and his eyes wide until he fell to the ground. The woman sighed and then looked over to see Robin and Luffy and the man.

"Hello Mr Crocodile!" she said, hurrying up to him. The man smiled and inclined his head at her.

"That was a very impressive display of slave training Miss." Crocodile replied. Luffy looked up at the man with wide eyes. This was who Zoro had been talking about! Mr Zero aka, Crocodile!

"Well, you know me. I don't let anyone get away with anything." and then the woman walked over to the man and jerked him upright. Crocodile smiled as she hurried away, the slave in tow.

"Just consider yourself lucky that you won't be sold… yet." he sneered in Luffy's ear. The boy jerked away, frowning at Crocodile.

"How can you let people do this to each other!" he cried. Crocodile slapped him and Luffy blinked in shock before his lips turned into a snarl. Before he could jump forward, numerous arms had sprouted all over his body and held him back while Crocodile smirked down at him.

"Control your anger boy." he said and then continued on his way. Robin took Luffy's arm again.

"Be quiet rookie-san." Robin muttered. Luffy frowned, a growl emanating from between his lips but no more sound was made. Crocodile led the way, waving at a few people. He obviously knew a lot of people in this place. Slaves glared at him from different angles, and one even tried to hit him but her owner whipped her and put her back under control. Luffy couldn't put any rational explanation as to why people would treat one another like this.

When he had been young, and Shanks had been around, Luffy had always been taught to be kind and respectful towards everyone. To give them the benefit of the doubt. But, right now in this city. No one seemed to understand this rule. He was jerked away from watching a man being dragged along the sidewalk with a chain collar, and then Robin pushed him through a doorway into a beautifully ornate room.

"Wow…" Luffy whispered in awe. The whole place seemed to be gold leaf, or white with gold trim. The floor was made of blue-grey stone and the staircase before him would have fit ten Luffys side by side and still had enough room for about four Zoros.

"Tell me Monkey D Luffy, do you have that gold bracelet on you?" Crocodile asked. Luffy blinked before frowning.

"What do you care?" he snarled. His opinion of this man had gone rock bottom as soon as he had seen the slaves. Turning, Crocodile smiled.

"If you answer my question, you eat." he blackmailed.

"Yes." Luffy replied, turning his head away. He wasn't hungry for this man's food, but, if he was going to escape then he needed to keep his wits and strength about him.

"Miss Sunday, would you please take our young friend up to the tower. I think he needs a sleep before tonight." and then Crocodile swept out of the room. Robin nodded and gently took Luffy's arm and began leading him towards the stairs.

"Na Robin, why do you listen to him? He's so mean!" Luffy asked. Robin smiled softly.

"Don't worry Luffy, you wouldn't understand."

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**Sorry bout the shortness, but my brain and muse decided they were going on holiday. -kicks them-**


	19. The Device

**Okay. To tell the truth, this story has become rather boring to me. Same as Fugitives did. I mean, long stories are great and all, but they take up heaps of time, and they're a lot of work. But I shall finish this because Plushie will never leave a story unfinished! It is rude, and dissapointing to the people reading it. So don't be discouraged. And (hopefully) my writing will still stay interesting (pfft like it ever was) and I shall reveal the ending, and everything that I have worked up to. **

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_**Chapter 19: The device**_

Zoro stepped off the small board and onto the hot sand of the Arabasta desert. Blinking rapidly, Zoro pulled a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, slipped them on and looked around. This place could have housed three or four of the Pearl bases, side by side it was that big. Sanji stepped off after him, and then turned and offered a hand to Nami… it went unnoticed. Nami hurried down the ramp and twitched as she felt the heat on her skin.

"It'll burn your skin to a crisp." Nami said to Zoro, who was wearing a short sleeved t-shirt. He looked down at his arms, and then moved back onto the ship to get a coat. Ace was next, wearing a trench coat of some sort and it looked pretty awesome. He looked a little down, but Nami suspected that was only because he had had to say goodbye to Smoker back home. Tashigi stumbled down the ramp, tripping on her own trench coat and full on flattening Ace as she rolled to a stop.

Spitting out sand, Ace looked around at Tashigi and smirked while she flushed an embarrassed red and began apologising at a million miles an hour. Usopp and Chopper were next, the little fluffy reindeer already feeling the heat as he panted. Usopp looked around outside before hurrying down the ramp and sidling over to stand beside Sanji.

The chef looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, and Usopp grinned up at him before taking a step, albeit a short step, but a step to the side none the less. Sanji rolled his eyes and dug in the pocket of his jacket for another cig. Clumping steps were heard and Zoro stalked down the ramp wearing a light pink trench coat. Why he had actually _put it on_, was a mystery. Sanji snorted and Zoro boiled, a vein flickering out of control in his temple.

"Where the hell is my proper jacket?" he growled at Nami, who had been snickering nearby.

"That is your proper jacket… isn't it?" Sanji asked, turning to him with a smirk. Usopp and Nami burst into outright laughter, holding onto their sides and almost crying while Tashigi tilted her head, not quite understanding what the hell they were talking about as she didn't know about the whole 'Zoro likes Luffy' thing that Nami, Sanji and Usopp had founded. Ace sighed and put a hand on his hip, waiting patiently for everything to finish. It really wasn't funny if you thought about it.

"Fuck you." Zoro growled in return. Sanji shook his head.

"So vulgar." he muttered as he turned back to the desert in front of him.

"Where is it Nami?" Zoro snapped. Nami turned back to him, frowning.

"Where the hell do you think? It's in your damn suitcase." and she threw Sanji an amused smirk. The chef snorted and shook his head.

"Fine." Zoro barked before stomping his way back into the ship again.

"Nami-san is so lovely when she is pissing Marimo off." Sanji cooed. Nami smiled and inclined her head slightly.

"Thankyou Sanji-kun." she replied. Sanji twisted in the air and he began noodle dancing around the ramp of the ship until Usopp stuck a foot out and tripped him up.

"You were causing a whirlwind." Ace muttered with a smirk while Usopp ran around the ramp and hid underneath it. Sanji growled as he got back up again.

"Usopp!" and then he stomped off after the boy. Nami sighed and rolled her eyes as Usopp began screaming bloody murder, even though all Sanji was doing was holding the boy's shoulders so he couldn't run away. Zoro tore his eyes away from the 'attempted murder' (as Usopp put it) and looked out towards the small spire in the distance. The signal of the town. The government had been quite helpful when he had explained the situation. The government… helpful? Pff, yeah right. He had had to yell for half an hour to get them to even listen to him.

"Sanji, leave him alone. His girly screams are giving me a headache." Nami snapped, rubbing at her head. Sanji blinked and then grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry Nami-san." he apologised. Usopp frowned, objecting to his screams being called 'girly', but he stayed quiet. Nami shook her head at him and then turned to look back at Zoro… only to find he and Ace were both already walking out into the desert. Frowning, Nami picked up a small pack of water and food, and hurried after them, Usopp and Sanji following suit.

"Luffy's fine." Ace said after a few moments of walking in silence. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"If he's not dead."

"He's not dead."

"How do you know?"

"You know, you're not very optimistic, are you." Ace stated, but that only served to send Zoro into silence again.

"I have my reasons." he finally muttered. Ace shrugged.

"None of my business, but, you have to believe in my little bro. He'll come through, always has, always will." and he smiled. Zoro turned to face Ace for a second, just watching as Ace smirked happily, hands in his pockets. How could he be so relaxed about all this? Luffy was in danger, and Ace wasn't even worried.

Or… was he?

Maybe Ace was trying to convince _himself_ more than he was trying to convince Zoro. No… that wouldn't be it. The look on Ace's face suggested that he genuinely believed that Luffy would be okay. How could Ace be so… unworried? Zoro was nearly panicking! His head was spinning, his heart was beating… but he would never let the fact that he was worried, show through so Sanji could give him shit for it. He wouldn't even let it show through when he was alone, for the simple fact that it was unmanly to do so. So then… maybe that was what Ace was feeling. Maybe…

"Zoro!" Nami yelled beside him and Zoro nearly jumped out of his skin before turning to glower at the orange haired woman.

"The hell do you want!?" he snapped. Sanji frowned in the background.

"How do we know for sure that where we're going, is where Luffy even is?" she asked. Zoro frowned.

"If it isn't… then we'll just keep looking." _But I know this is the way… I can feel it. _

"Alright. I just hate to think what we're going to find there." Nami muttered, falling back to walk beside Sanji. Yes, Zoro hated to think what they were going to find as well. This place wasn't on a legal map, and so he began to think that there was more to this place. More to what he had said to Luffy so long ago, about the crime in this area. Drugs and the like.

---

Luffy looked up as Robin placed a tray of beef stew, bread, a cup of tea and a glass of water on the small table in the middle of the room. He wasn't tied down, wasn't held to the wall at all and could have easily got up and escaped. He even had his rubber powers intact, but… something made him want to stay. And he was pretty sure he knew what that something was. Finding out what Robin was doing, and why she was so loyal to Crocodile. Why she had betrayed Pearl… and him. She had always seemed so nice, but she was still mysterious, he guessed.

"You need to eat, rookie-san." Robin said, her face shaded by her hair as she set out the food and began picking up the tray.

"Robin…?" Luffy asked before the older woman could walk out the door. She paused, not looking back at him.

"Yes, rookie-san?"

"What's going to happen?" he asked. Robin didn't answer immediately but then she turned around with a smile.

"You need to eat and get some sleep rookie-san… it will help." and then she left, closing the door behind her. Luffy tilted his head before standing and dusting off his jeans, which he had unrolled. They now reached around the bottoms of his heels. Shuffling his way over to the table, he sniffed interestedly at the stew before pausing as he heard voices downstairs. Luffy blinked for a second before dropping to his knees and pressing an ear to the floor boards. He heard Robin's voice but couldn't make out what was said, before the voice he now knew as Crocodile's, replied,

"Miss Sunday, I told you before, I will not let him go and wait for that damn bracelet to find someone else. It's taken it five years as to just find this little brat. No Miss Sunday, the device isn't going to wait any longer. Once I have him in it, and once I have it working… nothing will stop me."

"You have the power to do what you wish _now_." Robin replied softly, almost in a reprimanding tone. The sound of a chair scraping against wood and then soft footsteps.

"Miss Sunday… do not try to contradict me, it is not wise. But… for now it is amusing, but keep that tone in check. It appears that while on holiday, you have become… disrespectful." and then the footsteps again.

"The device, as you know Miss Sunday, will do everything I have planned to do for the last five years. And my authority with the Government will stop anyone from interfering."

_You wish…_Luffy thought privately and sourly as he listened. He knew that Zoro would be out looking for him right now, and Ace. All of them. He was positive about it. Friends didn't let each other down. But, what was this device that Crocodile kept talking about? It sounded… interesting he supposed. Or stupid. A mixture of both really.

Leaning away, Luffy decided that he would have a look at his room again, see if he could find some weakness or something just so he could look out and see what lay around him. It was hot in here, but not so that it bothered him. A breeze was coming from somewhere, and the smell of the beef stew began to get to him and he moved towards it, stomach growling.

"Waste not, want not." Luffy quipped before digging in.

---

Meanwhile, back in their home town, Smoker was leaning back against a wall, lighting a new cigar as he did so.

"Didn't think you'd get away, did you? You bunch of scum." he growled as the group of troublemakers bulged underneath a large net.

"Stop tickling my toes!" a creepy, inhuman voice yelled.

"What was that about my nose!?" another returned. Smoker sighed.

"Shut up." he muttered. Gin came around from behind the large net and smirked at Smoker.

"All here." he reported. Smoker shrugged.

"I could have told you that." he replied sourly. Gin frowned and put his hands on his hips, swinging his bar idly.

"You don't have to be so smug you know, I helped."

"Whatever." Smoker shrugged. Apparently, he had picked up some of Ace's annoying smugness. Gin frowned again and shook his head.

"Where are we going to put them?"

"Where else?" Smoker smirked, glaring at the group of miscreants.

"Let me out of here sweetie." a honey coated feminine voice came from the edge of the net and Smoker raised an eyebrow at her. She winked seductively and Smoker rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"As if." he growled at her and she frowned, "To the jail underneath my headquarters, Gin. They can rot there until Roronoa gets back." and he stalked towards the net. Lifting his arms, smoke began to furl from his clenched knuckles and then snaked out to wrap around the net, lifting it slowly so none of his prisoners could get out. Time for them to be put away.

---

Zoro sighed again as Sanji started on him, yelling about how he had insulted '_Nami-swaaan' _by walking too fast and not taking enough breaks. It wasn't even a day's walk away and already he was pissed with his group. The only three not whinging were Tashigi, Ace and Usopp. Usopp because he was too scared, Ace because he was too polite and he was beginning to think Tashigi was just shy. Not that he would ask, or talk to her himself. She reminded him too much of Kuina and that made him more than a little nervous.

"Sorry Ace-san!" Tashigi cried as she stumbled and fell on him again… Zoro had lost count how many times that had happened. Ace just chuckled and helped her to her feet again.

"Never mind." he replied and they set off again.

"Nami-swan? Are you okay?" Sanji cooed as he walked beside her, "You don't want to have a rest?"

"I'm fine Sanji, but it would be nice if I had something to ride." she replied absently. Sanji blinked at her and then tilted his head. Ever the gentlemen, he said the first thing that came to mind and… that happened to be the worst thing he could have said ever.

"Would you like to ride me?" he asked, not realizing the sexual implications that simple sentence had. Or… maybe he did. One never really knew with Sanji. But as it stood, amusing reactions spread throughout the group. Nami turned bright red and reacted by smashing Sanji over the head with her fist. Zoro burst out laughing despite the sombre circumstances. Ace sighed and shook his head, smirking at the same time while Tashigi blushed a brilliant red as well. And Usopp hid his laughter behind a hand. Sanji blinked comically from his upside down position in the sand before turning right way up and scrubbing the sand from his hair.

"Nami-san! What did I say?" he pleaded. She turned to him with a sniff, threw her head back and then stalked away, taking the lead and smacking Zoro (who was still sniggering) around the back of the head. Sanji sighed miserably as he followed before smiling, thinking that whatever Nami was mad about, then she had a right to be mad at him about it… whatever it was.

He really wasn't sure what he had sa- oh… that's what he had said. Slapping a palm to his head, he grit his teeth and cursed himself. He had fucked up again… royally this time. Zoro sidled up beside him, eyes slanted in his direction and mouth twitching in what could unmistakably be called a 'you're such an idiot' smirk. It was a smirk Sanji had found rather useful when teasing Zoro about liking Luffy.

"Oh fuck off." Sanji snarled at Zoro, who frowned.

"Hey! Don't get angry at me moron, it's your own damn fault." Zoro snapped in return. Sanji frowned.

"Why don't you go bury your head in the sand!"

"I'm not the one who's being hot headed right now!" Zoro snarled, smacking his forehead against Sanji's. The chef pressed back just as hard, his teeth clenched. Nearby, while the two were throwing insults, Usopp turned to Ace, who shrugged casually and moved over to talk with Tashigi.

"Dickhead!"

"Idiot!"

"Shitty Marimo!"

"Mouldy cheese head!"

"Shut. Up!" Nami suddenly yelled, turning back to them and glaring, her cheeks still lightly tinted red. Zoro turned and glared at her while Sanji bowed over and over again, apologising profusely as he did so. Crossing his arms and sniffing angrily, Zoro followed Nami grudgingly while Sanji trotted at her side. Well, at least their noise making was over. Nami peered at the town before her and took a deep breath. It wouldn't be long and they would be fighting for their lives. That wasn't unusual when they were in Pearl but… they weren't just fighting for their own lives now. They were fighting for Luffy's, and, despite the idiocy of the kid, she really didn't want him to get hurt.

---

Luffy blinked blearily as a soft arm began gently rocking him back and forth to wake him up.

"Na?" he murmured quietly, turning and looking up to see Robin standing over him, her eyes sad. He had never seen her display emotion so strongly before and he sat straight up and looked around wildly, thinking he was still in his own room back at Pearl and that something bad must have happened. But then everything rushed back to him and he blinked at Robin sadly.

"What is it?" he asked, hiding his sadness effectively behind a wall of curiosity. Robin smiled and the emotion vanished from her face, leaving it cold and chiselled in the moonlight that was streaming from the window. Hey? When did the window appear?

"Come along rookie-san, we must be going." and she took his arm and urged him to his feet. Luffy got up and followed, looking around interestedly as he was lead down a dark passage. Small noises caught his attention every now and again from strange rooms and once he even saw a white clothed man standing behind a door and bantering with a woman on the price of what must have been a slave. Every time he stopped to look though, Robin would urge him onwards. A soft buzzing was the first thing he heard when Robin turned him into a corridor and then she spun him around and pressed him gently against a wall.

"Luffy," she said speaking so seriously that she had to use his name, "please, promise me, if you get the chance, escape."

"Na Robin! If I do, you have to come too! I don't wanna leave you behind!" Luffy replied, his eyes wide. Robin smiled and bowed her head so her hair covered her eyes and she smiled.

"Thankyou rookie-san, but, my place is here." and with that, she turned him towards a large black, metal door.

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**Cliffhanger... oh no. -hides- sorryyyyyyy! -runs away-**


	20. The plan

**Hey guys! Yes, I am still ploughing on with this story. It's taking a while, but, I'll get it done... eventually. lol. I just have a lot more interesting stories to work on now, and it irritates me because I get halfway through a story like this, and then... 'bang!' I have a whole new idea that I want to work on. -growls- Doesn't that tick you off? It's like... your brain just doesn't want to co-operate with you at all!**

**And I also apologise, because, the beginning of this story (in my opinion) was a hell of a lot better than what it's turned into. Once again, my sincerest apologies on that. **

**Anyway, I've rambled enough. On with the chapter... I think, or am fairly sure, that Ace is OOC, I don't know. But, I apologise to any Ace fans out there if he is. -sigh-**

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_**Chapter 20: The plan**_

Blithely unaware of the fact that Luffy was in danger… well, maybe not blithely unaware but, they really didn't know what was happening to Luffy at the current time, they continued through the sand. To say it was bothering Zoro, was an understatement. The swordsman was practically twitching as he walked. Whenever someone talked to him, he snapped at them and then hurried onwards, his pace now doubly increased. He'd shout at them to hurry up and when Sanji demanded they have a break, Zoro almost scalped him with a sword.

"Keep walking." Zoro hissed and then continued. Ace blinked after the swordsman, sighed and shook his head while smiling. It was good to see someone so worried about his brother, and despite his cool exterior, Ace was worried too. But he refused to believe that Luffy wouldn't be able to get out of this himself. Luffy was a very self sufficient boy when he wanted to be. So, Ace continued, realizing that they might get there in time to find that Luffy had gotten himself free and was running to greet them… he hoped. Nami frowned deeply as Sanji and Zoro started yelling at each other again.

"Damnit…" she muttered to herself. All this frowning, and heat and worry was giving her a massive migraine. But at least those two were trying to settle it in a civilised matter. Looking around, she saw that Zoro and Sanji were merely throwing sand at each other, screaming insults at the same time. Blinking for a moment, Nami suddenly realized they looked like little kids… in a playground. Greeeeat. She was about to say something when the childish act wore off and the two were at each other's throats, Zoro dodging Sanji's kicks while slashing out at Sanji with sharp and lethal swords. Raising an eyebrow, Nami crossed her arms and watched them until they stopped, breathing heavily and swinging feebly at each other.

"You're both idiots." She commented idly. But she couldn't help but feel a little bit of relief that they were getting their frustration out this way. Now that they'd had this fight, then when they were in battle, it would be a lot easier for them to communicate. It went that way before the missions they had gone on and it always made everything go just that little bit smoother. Sighing, Nami turned and spotted the gates to the city looming before them. It wouldn't be long, and then they would be through and on their way to saving Luffy.

"Nami!" Ace's voice cried, and she paused and looked around to see the man looking around him, his eyes searching the sand.

"What?" she asked, moving over to him. He looked up at her.

"Chopper's gone."

"…What!?" and she began searching frantically as well. Sanji and Zoro, who had been knocked out of their fight by the panicked Nami, looked around at them. Zoro still had a hold of Sanji's hair, while the chef had a foot firmly planted in the swordsman's stomach. Both of them looked at each other and then began searching as well. Tashigi was already on the hunt, walking back the way they had come. Finally, the Marine organisation member, spotted a pink hat lying in the sand, and when she went to pick it up, she found a small reindeer attached to it.

"Found him!" she called and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's go." Zoro growled and they continued once again, the gates looming dangerously before them.

---

Luffy found himself staring at the oddest device he had ever seen. It was tall, slender, and painted chrome. How strange. And it had a large circular device on top that looked as though it belonged on the end of a mythical wizard's staff. It was very strange. But something told Luffy from deep down inside, that he needed to get away from this thing. It was dangerous. His senses were telling him that immediately, but, curiosity killed the cat as they say, and in this case, whoever had made up the proverb, wasn't far from the truth. Robin gently urged Luffy towards the device, and the rubber man didn't resist. He wanted to know what all this was about, and he wanted to know now, so, Luffy picked out one of the people standing nearby and began yelling at him.

"Oi! What's this about!?" he yelled in his most dangerous voice. The man yelped, spinning around and pushing his glasses back up his nose. He was wearing a long white coat, and he had short stubby fingers that were clutching a pen tightly over a small clipboard. He was pale, and shaky, and Robin hurriedly shushed Luffy before he could say anything more, or frighten the poor little man to death.

Luffy found himself not placed near the device, but instead, pushed into a chair at the far end of the room. Robin then bent low over him, asked him to stay where he was, checked he had the bracelet on and then left. Luffy peered down at the gold bracelet around his wrist and then looked around the room interestedly. Normally, he would have been off his chair and exploring the area thoroughly by now, but Robin had sounded just a little pleading when she had asked him to stay seated.

And so, he was going to do as he was told… for Robin's sake. But, he really couldn't help but wonder why it was Robin obeyed Crocodile. Was there some sort of link between them? Something that made her incapable of defying his orders? Maybe she was in love with him. Luffy immediately rebelled that thought from his mind. Robin would never be in love with someone like Crocodile. This mystery began to weave it's way through Luffy's mind, until his eyes began to go unfocused.

It was hard thinking about all this stuff at once, and usually he would only focus on one thing at a time. But at the moment, he had to figure out a way to escape; the door at the end of the room was now bolted shut. He had to figure out why Robin was following Crocodile. And he wanted to figure out how long it would take for his friends to arrive. The friends one wasn't at the top of his list, because he knew that as long as he delayed, they would get there in time.

Luffy once again looked around the room, the little man he had shouted at now scratching at his clipboard like a madman. Narrowing his eyes, Luffy made to get up off the chair, but, something strange happened. He couldn't get up. His butt was literally stuck to his seat. Making an annoyed sound, Luffy began pulling and twisting and turning, but his butt was glued. No way was he going to be able to get up any time soon.

Grunting as he slumped in the seat, Luffy cast an angry eye at the bracelet, as though it was all the inanimate object's fall. Which, in retrospect, it actually was but that was beside the point right now. It was just over an hour after Luffy had sat down, that Robin made a re-entrance, Crocodile in front of her. He swept across the room, dressed in his best suit (which was pretty ugly to Luffy) and his shoes shined to the point where it was almost possible to see every detail on the surface of the roof, reflected in them. Long legs strode across the floor cockily until the greasy man was in Luffy's face, grinning like a maniac.

"It is time to see whether this bracelet has chosen the correct candidate." he said in a tone that suggested he already knew the answer.

"What do you want me for? I'm a rookie in an organisation that Z-… someone else is the head of." Luffy growled, stopping himself from saying Zoro's name just in case Crocodile did decide to go after him anyway. Crocodile chuckled, a strange sound that echoed through the room and made Luffy growl quietly in his throat.

"Suffice it to say, that, I want nothing to do with any organisations, or any Zoro. Yes, I know who he is, I am not stupid. I have kept a tab on you, ever since the bracelet touched you. Ever since it first saw you. It does not need to touch you, but only to see you, for it's programming to take hold."

"Programming?" Luffy asked dubiously, "Sounds stupid to me." and he huffed angrily. Robin almost smiled but Crocodile glared at her and she subsided.

"Yes. You see, the bracelet is a highly advance technological device. One of which, I have been trying to perfect for a long time. But, at the beginning of it's trial, I found that it selected the wrong people, and they ended up dying when I tried to put my plan into action."

"That's why Kaya said people died and then the bracelet returned to her shop!"

"Oh, so you're not as dumb as I was led to believe." Crocodile said sarcastically. Luffy glared at him, eyes narrowed with anger. Usually, he didn't care about being insulted, he would just laugh it off and leave it at that, but, this man irritated him to no end. Everything from the almost reptilian gleam in his eyes, to the wide smirk and thin scar that ran across his face. Luffy stuck his chest out defiantly.

"I'm not going to do whatever it is you're going to try and do with me." he said loudly, causing Robin to turn her gaze on Crocodile, and the little man in the lab coat to wince heavily. But the taller man just smirked.

"Oh, I think you'll find you don't have much of a choice." and he strode over to the device. Robin gave Luffy a quick look of praise, and then moved at a casual pace after her boss. Luffy glared after Crocodile. No way in the world was he going to do anything that man said.

---

Zoro blinked up at the gates before frowning, and then looking around.

"Hey, here's an idea, instead of announcing ourselves in the front of this place, getting overtaken by a group of guards and then most likely killed… why not go around the back and sneak in?" Sanji suggested sarcastically. Usopp chuckled but quickly shut up when he saw the look of pure death that Zoro was shooting him. Ace sighed.

"That would work yes, but, what then? How're we going to find Luffy if we can't see the tower?"

"Well when you say it like that…" Sanji snapped. Nami rose an eyebrow.

"Is everyone forgetting the fact that I'm the navigator here?" she said, raising her hands and shaking them. Tashigi smiled.

"I think Nami-san should decide!" Sanji said immediately. He received a look of loathing from Zoro, before the swordsman sighed.

"Fine. Which way do you think Nami?" he asked, though he sounded grudging. Nami hummed in thought for a moment as she looked around, and then a smile crossed his face. Raising a hand, Nami pointed to the right. Zoro nodded and then moved in that direction, striding out as fast as he could. Nami inclined her head slightly towards Sanji, who grinned from ear to ear before following as she moved after Zoro.

Usopp looked at Ace, who shrugged and continued. Tashigi didn't waste a second in following… and tripping over thin air. Usopp helped her up, and then looked back to see Chopper hurrying along, panting like anything and barely keeping up.

"You okay Chopper?" Zoro suddenly called. Chopper paused and panted before nodding and hurrying up to Usopp.

"Are we almost there?" he whispered. Usopp smiled.

"Haven't a clue. But, I remember once when I was very young, I came to a place like this in my travels." Usopp said, scratching at the end of his long nose and winking down at the little reindeer. Chopper blinked for a second.

"Really!?" he cried. Usopp grinned widely. Got him again, hook, line and sinker.

"Oh yeah, I went to loads of places when I was little. Here was where I met the deadly and sinister, gigantic tarantula of the great King's castle. Of course, these people were much more uneducated and stupid before I came along." Usopp bragged. Chopper trotted along beside him, watching Usopp in awe.

"UWAAA! So cooool!" Chopper cried as he trotted along, all thoughts of the heat totally forgotten. Usopp's stories were good for something after all. So, Usopp continued his story as they walked and Chopper was able to focus entirely on the wonderful events that Usopp was bragging about, and not focus on how hot he was. Zoro, who was up the front, wasn't listening to anything that was going on behind him.

He was focused entirely on Luffy. If something had happened to Luffy, it was his fault. Just like it had been his fault with Kuina. He really needed to learn to take more care of his rookies. Nami followed along behind her leader, thoughts also turning to Luffy. She was worried about him. Despite the fact that he was an irritating little rat of a boy, he was a good friend.

"Nami-san?" Sanji's voice said beside her, and she looked up at him, a smile coming to her face.

"I'm okay thankyou Sanji-kun." she replied to the unasked question. Sanji smiled.

"Are you sure? You look a bit… troubled."

"Luffy's missing, Sanji." Nami reminded him. Sanji looked a little ashamed of himself.

"Right, sorry." he apologised. Nami sighed.

"He'll be alright, won't he Sanji?" she asked. Sanji blinked and then looked after Zoro, for some reason focusing on the back of Marimo's head.

"Of course Nami-san!" he replied and then bent down a little lower to her ear, "And if he isn't, he's got Marimo-head up there to look after him." and Nami chuckled.

"Right." and they continued, Nami's heart feeling just a bit lighter. Up ahead, Zoro had heard what Sanji had said regardless of the fact that the chef had lowered his voice. It made him feel both proud, and a little upset that Sanji had said something like that. And so, his steps became twice as long, and three times as fast. They were going to find Luffy before something bad happened at all. He was sure about that.

---

Robin glanced back at Luffy, who was glaring after Crocodile, and she grimaced slightly before sidling up to her boss.

"Boss, are you sure this is going to work? I mean, what if he isn't the right type for the device? What if it destroys him?" she asked, trying to keep the worry and anxiousness out of her voice. Crocodile raised an eyebrow as he turned to her.

"Then we will simply place the bracelet back at that shop, and hope it picks someone else. That dimwitted boy is no more than a pawn in an operation that will soon help me become the most powerful man in the world." he replied and turned back to the device, watching as the frightened little man continued to tweak certain adjustments.

"Right." Robin sighed, seeing she wasn't going to get anywhere with this. The frightened little man turned, and attempted a nervous smile.

"It's ready." he said. Crocodile smiled and turned towards Luffy, who glared straight back at him.

"Get the boy would you Miss Sunday?" Crocodile asked almost sweetly. Robin smiled and inclined her head before turning away and letting her smile drop to a frown. That man was getting on her last nerve. Why had she ever agreed to work for him? Bending over Luffy, she whispered an apology in his ear, and then stood him up roughly. Luffy followed easily, not wanting to hurt Robin while she was pulling him towards the device.

"What is that thing anyway?" Luffy growled at Crocodile when he was close enough to be heard. Crocodile smiled.

"That, dear boy, is going to make me the most powerful man in the world. You see, the mutation works on a special gene in the body, and I intend to take every power that the mutation has given to anyone in the world, away. They do not deserve such a luxury, and I also intend, to be the only one with a mutation." Crocodile explained. Luffy blinked and then frowned.

"That's stupid. Why would you wanna do that? If you're the only one with a mutation, that makes you a freak not a more powerful being." Luffy hissed. Crocodile raised an eyebrow.

"To you it might be, but to me… I consider being a freak as having more power and being more complicated than others can understand. But look at yourself, you a rubber man, yes?"

"…yeah."

"Well, being rubber is certainly freakier than being able to control and become sand, do you not think?"

"No. Everyone hates sand. It gets in your clothes and itches and irritates you until you have a bath… and then it all washes away." Luffy replied and smirked. Crocodile blinked.

"That is certainly an interesting way of putting it, but, I'm afraid we have run out of time."

"Hey, why are my powers the only ones that'll work in this thing?"

"I don't know. The bracelet chose you, and that's just what I'm going off."

"The stupid bracelet's probably wrong then!"

"Oh? Well, let's just see shall we? Oh… but wait, there is one minor detail I forgot to leave out…" Crocodile began as Luffy was placed in a small hatch at the bottom of the slender device, "You're going to die while doing this. Every molecule in your body is going to be destroyed." and Crocodile waved a hand as Luffy was shot underground and into darkness. He waited in the dark for a while, expecting something to happen… but there was nothing.

He was left to wait.

---

Zoro reefed open the door on the side of the wall, rusted hinges squeaking loudly.

"Can't you keep it down?" Nami snapped. Zoro glared at her before returning to the door. Finally, once it was open, the group filed in and looked around. They were standing in what appeared to be an abandoned part of a town. Dilapidated houses lined the sides of the roads, and the roads themselves looked untouched. Here and there stray cats were fighting or rummaging through large boxes that were long since empty. Nearby a dog barked, but it soon disappeared.

"Well, this place is certainly a haven for life, is it not?" Sanji commented as he lit a cigarette and placed it in his mouth.

"Come on. Let's get going." Chopper squeaked, hurrying past them all. Usopp was right behind him, and Ace and Tashigi were next.

"Oh my god… Zoro look!" Nami cried and Zoro twisted to see a large, but thin rod appear from the centre of the town. It was glowing a fluorescent pink and it did not look like it would be spouting love hearts.

"Come on!" Zoro yelled and they took off, running as fast as they could (Chopper was now in full reindeer mode in front) towards the centre of the town.

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**Short, I know. Sorry. **


	21. Luffy's demise?

**Once again, apologize for late update but guess what!? This is like, the third last chapter. But, the ending will be a twist, and not even Clarobell or Shiruji-chan knows whats going to happen. -nods- I have kept it a secret! I am so proud. Some people may suspect it already though. -shrugs- if you know, yay! If not... YAY! -pokes out tongue- Regular updates from now on. -nods matter of fact- **

**Okay, on with da chapter! Enjoy! I think I have regained some enthusiasm for this as I am so close to the end now. lol. Greeeeat. **

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_**Chapter 21: Luffy's…demise?**_

It was cold, and hot at the same time. Everything kept changing around him. The darkness kept smothering him and making his blood run cold, while his skin was so hot he was sure it was going to melt off his body anytime now. He wanted out of this place, and he had made that abundantly clear with the language he had been using. Admittedly, most of the swear words he used had originally come from Zoro's mouth, and were colourful to say the least… but damnit, the situation was desperate!

He spouted another few remarks but once again didn't get a response. He was trapped down here… and he was going to stay that way until he either died… or was rescued and Luffy was starting to fear that the former would happen before the latter. His wrist with the bracelet on it, was now glued to the wall, the gold melding with the wall and glowing a fluorescent pink. It was disturbing and worrying to say the least. And then it hit him.

He screamed like he'd never screamed before as waves and waves of pain tore through him, ripping at his skin, and prickling his eyes which were shut tight. His legs fell out from underneath him and the pain stopped as suddenly as it had started. Luffy was left lying on the floor of this creation, his arm glued to the wall while he panted for breath. God he hoped Zoro would get here soon.

---

Crocodile frowned as the panel in front of him sparked a little and then groaned into life. It was brand new! Why was it going through such ridiculous movements? Letting his breath snort out from his nose angrily, he looked up at the pink electricity that was now flowing right down the needle and straight to him. Bracing himself, Crocodile received the shock to the middle of his chest.

He grit his teeth against the pain and groaned weakly when it left him exhausted. Collapsing on the platform, he panted uselessly before smirking as his limbs felt even more supple and easier to move than before. At the same time, his skin had taken on a strong feeling of tough texture. It was… odd to say the least. Raising an arm up before him, he smiled as it stretched to twist and turn in the air before snapping back into place again.

"Perfect." he purred and then eagerly went back to the platform, preparing for another go. He had Luffy's power, but, as he figured it, the mutation had made the stupid boy rubber through and through, and therefore, he acted as a conductor. Even though rubber wasn't actually a conductor of anything… it was good enough to suck the powers in, and then send them back to Crocodile.

"We need to let Luffy rest, or he'll die." Robin said calmly when she saw Crocodile heading for the button again. Her boss frowned.

"So what if he dies? I don't care, as long as I get my power." he replied. Robin frowned and turned cold blue eyes on him.

"And if he dies, you will lose both myself, and your conductor." she practically hissed. Crocodile lifted his chin a little, chewing on a tooth for a moment before frowning even deeper.

"You've grown attached to him…" he said quietly. Robin snapped her face away, her breathing increasing a little. Damn, she had meant to hide everything from him, but it just wasn't working!

"You've grown attached to all of them…" Crocodile continued. Robin ignored him before turning her impassive face on him once again.

"Nonsense. I have never been attached to anyone in my life, and you should know that better than anyone…_boss._" she replied in a tone barely above hissing. Crocodile smirked.

"Good, now, by your leave?" he asked sarcastically. Robin clenched her fists at her side. She regretted the day she had ever let this man take her in. Unlike a lot of the mutation gene that went through some people and didn't develop until later in life, Robin had had hers since she was very small. And because of it… she had been called a freak. There was no one like her in her town when she was little, and therefore she had never been accepted.

By the time of seven, she was so fed up with her life there, she ran. Ran as far as she could go. And then this monster had picked her up. At the time, he had been different. Calm, quiet, nice and sweet to her. He had never ordered her around like he did now. Something had corrupted him and Robin hated it. She had trusted him… and he had betrayed her. But… he had looked after her when she was little, and raised her to be who she was. Given her sufficient funds to go to school, and to become the part time archaeologist that she had wanted to be. Crocodile watched Robin for a moment more before looking back down at the panel before him. He hit the button…

---

Heavy breathing echoed back to the group as they ran along the alleyway that Nami had deduced led to the tower. Zoro was dead convinced that he had heard Luffy scream, but none of the others had heard anything. Someone would have commented that Zoro was crazy, but the situation was dire and no one was game to say anything. Zoro was just about ready to snap as it was, and Nami had the feeling that the swordsman wouldn't hold back when they got there.

Good.

Neither would she. The bastards wouldn't know what hit them. Ace was just about as fired up as Zoro, and though he hadn't said anything, he was dead sure that he had at least heard something that sounded like Luffy. Small flames occasionally broke out over his shoulders, but he smothered them quickly and regained his composure each time. Chopper was galloping in the lead, his eyes narrowed and his jaw set. Usopp had fallen to the back of the group, his job becoming that of lookout. He was making sure they weren't being followed. Sanji was keeping pace easily, his long legs striding out.

He wasn't even moving that fast really, because if he did… well, he would probably run the block before Zoro and Nami-san even got to the place where he'd sped up. He smirked inwardly at this thought. They were running when Chopper stopped. He couldn't move and the rest of the group skidded to a stop in time to see the reindeer's eyes shift before they rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Usopp began panicking and ran to his friend, resting a hand on the reindeer's neck and trying to rouse him. Zoro looked up towards the needle… and frowned when he saw it was glowing a fluorescent pink once again.

"Come on!" and they began running again.

"What about Chopper?" Usopp pleaded. Zoro instantly stopped and hurried back, lifting the reindeer over his shoulders and across the back of his neck. Holding tight to the two pairs of legs in his hands, he began running , Usopp behind him and watching his friend carefully. And inwardly, Zoro was damn sure he heard Luffy scream again.

---

Luffy was indeed screaming. He felt as though every atom and molecule within his body was experiencing it's own individual torture. It was killing him. And that was what Crocodile had said. Eventually it would kill him. He briefly felt as though he were an animal, and then the feeling was gone, ripped through his body like he was a block that a car ran through.

It left his body again and he collapsed to the floor, held up only by the hand that was glued to the wall. Pain… nothing like it. Makes you feel alive… until it kills you, Luffy thought bitterly as he tried to remember how to breathe. He was shaking already, and sweat was running down his forehead and over his body freely.

"Zoro…" he whispered to the darkness, "Please…"

---

Crocodile grit his teeth against that pain again as another power ran into him. He was only experiencing half of what Luffy was going through, as the boy had to have the power run into him, and then have it ripped out all over again. If Crocodile even had a semblance of a heart, he would be feeling for the poor boy trapped into the underbelly of the monster that his scientists had created.

Animal like strength radiated through his body, and he felt twenty times smarter than he had been before. It was incredible! And it felt like a drug running through him! He needed more! And he wanted it now… Reaching his hand forward, Robin frowned and couldn't restrain herself any longer. Blossoming an arm right in front of the man's hand, she slapped it away, and continued to do so until the hand merely turned to sand and went around her own. She desperately scrabbled at it while Crocodile laughed.

"What are you trying to do dear Robin? Hinder my efforts?"

"He will die! You won't be able to get your power any more! Don't you understand that?" she snapped. Crocodile paused a moment and then frowned.

"Fine." and he withdrew his hand, "This new Robin is not at all to my liking. I believe I left you too long with that group." and he crossed his arms, "How long do you wish me to wait?"

"At least half an hour. Please, let him recover and then you will be able to continue." she reassured him, trying to buy a little more time. It seemed to be working… for now. Crocodile sniffed haughtily before moving off the platform and moving to a chair in the corner. Sitting down, he inspected his watch.

"Exactly 29 minutes and 51 seconds left." he said and smirked at her. Robin sighed. Everything was now resting on Zoro and the rest of the group's shoulders. Both Luffy and herself, were relying on Pearl.

---

Nami ran around the corner and skidded to a halt. Zoro was about to run past, but she hissed at him and he skidded to a stop as well.

"What?" he hissed back. Nami pointed right beside her and Zoro's eyes brightened upon seeing that she was pointing at a door. He latched onto it and practically ripped the damn thing off it's hinges before bursting into the room… and not seeing Luffy anywhere. A set of stairs led upwards in front of them. Spiralling around a thick column, and making Usopp groan with tiredness.

"We have to go up, there's no other way." Sanji commented after scanning the room.

"Then we go." and Zoro led the way, hand gripping his swords as he leapt up the stairs nearly three at a time. sanji was right beside him, his long legs easily striding upwards while the others were trying to keep up the best they could. The stairs seemed to go on forever, but finally Zoro and Sanji reached the top. Before them was another door, this one different from the one downstairs.

It was wooden, and it was dark mahogany, but Zoro didn't care. Once the rest of the group had gotten up behind him and had started to regain their breath, Sanji kicked it open and they walked in. There was Crocodile sitting in a chair, and there was Robin watching him.

"Swordsman-san…" she whispered before turning angry eyes on Crocodile. Now was the time. She was going to leave him for good this time.

"Robin-chwan!" Sanji cried, dancing into the room.

"Get back here fruit loop." Zoro snarled, so angrily that Sanji stopped instantly and dropped back to the group again, glaring daggers at the swordsman.

"Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5, get in here now!" Crocodile barked sharply. Through the door walked the group Crocodile had called. Number 1 was a tall, burly man with brown skin and at his side walked a woman with very bushy blue hair and a thin body. Next in pranced a man in a pink tutu with a swan cape on his back. His face was made up and Usopp, Sanji and Zoro visibly shuddered while Nami slapped a hand into her face. They were dealing with that!?

Who did Crocodile think they were? The kiddy squad? The next man wasn't much better. He had a pair of glasses on and on top of his head was a large three that had been formed out of his own hair. He was thin and sinewy but looked strange… well, they all looked strange really. Number five was a brown man with curly black hair and a trenchcoat with the number five on his arms. Beside him walked a thin lady with a dress on and an umbrella in her hands.

She had bright blue eyes, and Zoro could practically feel Sanji sweating behind him. One look from Nami silenced the chef and Zoro glared at the group that had just stepped up to face him. They would regret ever deciding to work for this man.

"You brought these idiots out to face us?" Usopp said bravely, but his knees were shaking like jelly. It didn't help either that he was peeking out from behind Zoro. The swordsman rolled his eyes and then moved to the wall and laid Chopper down on the floor. The little reindeer was still unconscious, and Zoro wasn't sure what would happen when he came back to himself, but, he hoped he would be okay.

Ace stepped up beside him and Zoro glanced at the pyro once before smirking. Ace was fired up, that was obvious. And Tashigi stepped up to his other side, sword ready in her hands and face steeled with a determined expression.

"Pearl…" he said, raising a hand in the hand and he smirked before bringing it down and pointing straight at the group that had just stepped in, "Get em!" and Zoro was pleased at the flicker of fear that went across Crocodile's minions' faces. Nami had matched up with the bushy haired woman and they were wrestling hand to hand.

Sanji was trying to kick the feet out from under the man in the pink tutu, while the man just kept leaping and prancing out of the way. Sanji was getting pissed with this and he lifted a leg and kicked tutu man right in the ribs, sending him across the room. The bastard just got straight up again and smirked at Sanji.

"Missed!" Usopp cried as he ducked behind a large piece of machinery that didn't look like it had been used in a while. Number five was flicked small balls of what looked like… Zoro winced as he realized and shook his head, turning away from that situation.

Mr 3 was being constantly melted by Ace, but he kept returning and just laughing harder. He was obviously made of wax. A mutation. Zoro heard a loud cackle above him and looked up just in time to see the woman who had been accompanying number five, come straight down at him and he stepped out of the way and she smashed into the floor.

"Missed." he said. She groaned and collapsed sideways onto the floor. Nami had managed to get her clima-tact out and she had slammed the woman across the room. Now, bushy was getting to her feet again and rubbing angrily at her cheek while blood coated her hand. Nami frowned at her, preparing for another defensive as bushy jumped at her again.

Usopp yelled as he was thrown across the room by an explosion and Zoro was about to intervene when Tashigi jumped in, her sword ready. She deflected the first shot and then jumped forward, fighting with all her might. Crocodile, after making sure that everyone was occupied, hurried to the platform.

"Hey!" Robin cried and ran after him. She made five hands appear over the button and frowned as her former boss simply turned to sand around her hands and pushed the button. Zoro turned as he heard the needle power up behind him and his eyes widened. The whole room seemed to go still as it powered up and Robin shook her head in disbelief as cherry blossom petals rained down where her hands had once been.

Crocodile laughed and Zoro watched as a weird pink energy was drawn out of thin air. Behind him, number five fainted to the ground. And Zoro knew then that he had been hearing Luffy screaming. He was inside that thing, and Zoro was damned if he was going to let Luffy stay that way. He ran over to the needle and pulled out his swords, steadying himself and then sweeping them out as hard as he could. There was a loud screech of metal as the blades tore straight into it. Crocodile was going through his transformation now, and therefore didn't notice that Zoro had sliced into the needle. Robin sighed loudly and smiled.

"Sanji!" Zoro yelled and the chef ran over and kicked the needle. There was a slow and ponderous creak as the needle teetered on the edge of breaking and then Sanji gave it another quick kick, and it screeched as it was sent tumbling to the ground. Zoro peered down into the hole that was left and blinked as he couldn't see anything. It was too dark.

"Zoro…" a weak voice said from inside and Zoro hefted a relieved sigh before lowering himself into the hole. He stepped on something and there was a loud squeak.

"Zoro… that was my foot." Luffy said and turned his head so his eyes were focused on the newcomer in his hole. Zoro blinked in the darkness and reached out a hand, trying to find Luffy.

"Ouch! That was my nose!" Luffy cried out and hissed in pain.

"Sorry. Where are you?" Zoro asked. Up above, Zoro could hear the sounds of battle restarting again, but his main mission right now was to free Luffy and get him out of here. His hand reached blindly for a moment before another skinnier hand encased his own.

"Here." Luffy's voice was tired and weary, and held very little of the enthusiasm it once had.

"How do I get you free?"

"Don't know. Maybe if you cut the bracelet…" and Luffy's hand began to sag in Zoro's.

"Hey, come on, stay with me now."

"So tired Zoro…" Luffy murmured and his hand went entirely limp. Zoro panicked for a moment but he could still hear Luffy's heavy breathing and calmed down. Following Luffy's arm, he brushed a hand over the boy's chest to his other shoulder and ran down the length of that arm to find it was held to the wall by the bracelet. Grabbing it, he began trying to pry Luffy's arm from it.

"Not… rubber… anymore Zoro…" Luffy said tiredly. Zoro blinked.

"Luffy, what does this thing do? It got Chopper too."

"It steals the mutation… from the person's body. Literally… rips it from… them." Luffy replied. Zoro drew in a sharp breath and then began pulling at the bracelet again. He tried to force it apart, tried to force it from the wall, but nothing worked. Finally getting annoyed with it, he pulled out a sword and pushed it into the small gap between Luffy's arm and the bracelet's edge.

"Just… hold still Luffy." Zoro gritted, frightened he was going to hurt Luffy but seeing no other way to get around it. Gritting his teeth, Zoro pulled the sword back towards him. There was a loud clink and then the bracelet broke. Half of it fell to the floor and tinkled on the ground, while the other half stayed embedded in the wall. Luffy suddenly fell into Zoro's chest and he grabbed onto the boy's shoulders reflexively.

"Hey…" and he smiled, "You're safe now. Come on." and he picked Luffy's limp body up and then crouched and jumped up out of the hole and back onto the surface again. As he looked over Luffy's body, he grimaced at the burns and blood that covered him. He looked a mess, but at least his breathing was strong and he wasn't cold or shaking. He was in pain obviously and he kept twitching every now and again.

"How do we get you your powers back buddy?" he muttered. Robin was at his side in an instant.

"Nico Robin!" Crocodile yelled, but Robin ignored him.

"The machine, in front of Crocodile. Destroy it and all the powers that were stolen will go back where they came from." she said. Zoro nodded once, knowing that she was helping and not hindering this time. Although he was still going to be extremely wary of her, he would take her advice for now. Ace hurried over.

"Little brother…" he muttered and took Luffy's limp form from Zoro's arms.

"Look after him." and he drew all three blades as Crocodile stepped down from the machine and moved in front of it.

"You traitor Robin." he hissed before turning to Zoro and smirking, "Your little friend won't survive long without his powers. Without the gene inside, the whole DNA strand begins to unwind. It'll slowly destroy him from the inside out. Your little reindeer too." Zoro's eyes widened and then he frowned.

"Then I guess I'll have to get the power back to him, won't I!"

"It'll be too late. It takes barely an hour for the DNA to unwind, and he's already been inside that thing without his powers for… oh… three quarters of an hour now. And there's no way you're going to beat me in fifteen minutes." Crocodile returned, laughing at the same time. Zoro let the corner of his mouth curl upwards in a dangerous sneer.

"You just fucked up. You told me how long I have, and fifteen minutes is fourteen more than I'll need." he said. Crocodile laughed at this, practically cracking up.

"You slay me, you really do." He said, wiping a pretend tear from his eye before frowning and crossing his arms over his chest, "Come on then. I'll give you the first shot."

"Gladly." Zoro growled and biting harder into his sword handle, he jumped forward.

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**Ha, there you go. Luffy's been saved, and now the final battle begins. But will Zoro be able to beat Crocodile? Will Ace be able to protect Luffy? Ha, have to tune in next time. lol. **

**Oh, and I realize that the scene with the woman (I'll be damned if I can't remember her name!) and Zoro, and how she comes down on him at Whisky Peak and he just moves away, or well, grabs his bandana but meh, same diff. I just love that scene. And it's always fun seeing Zoro and Luffy trying to kick each other's butts. -grin-**


	22. Destruction

**Mmk, so, we're up to the final battle here. Or, at least I think that's how it's gonna go. So it should be as long as some of the very early chapters. And then I can work on some of the other stories I haven't gotten finished. -dies and then looks tentatively towards her folder which contains said stories- erm... maybe they can just sit there. -nervous laugh-**

**Alone has fanart! Special, gratuitous thanks to Dadonna who drew a picture of Zoro and Luffy when they were playing on the x-box all night. -grin- here's the address! (erm, without the spaces of course) www . deviantart . com / deviation / 49298951 / **

**and if that don't work, just go to my profile and look down the bottom and there it shall be! But, go looky, it really is very cute! Thankyou Dadonna, this chapter's for you! **

**Umm, just wanna ask something here. You people do realize, that, I am from Australia and therefore I spell things differently to Americans. Eg; Color in America, is spelt Colour, in Australia. And Mom in America, is Mum in Australia or England. right? cos I get the feeling that some of you think I am spelling some things wrong. -shrugs- I don't know, I just get the feeling. -shrugs again- **

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_**Chapter 22: Destruction**_

It wasn't something that you could have thought would miss. A sword heading straight towards a man's throat, and then not even hurting him? And with Zoro's accuracy? It… well… it just wasn't heard of. Zoro stopped on the other side of Crocodile and blinked down at his sword. It was silver, shining and sharp… but it had no traces of blood or anything on it. Not a thing! Zoro twisted and swung the sword in his other hand towards Crocodile's middle… and once again it missed!

"How…" Zoro noised before Crocodile turned to him with a wide smirk.

"You haven't figured it out yet Roronoa?" and he raised a hand in front of him, and it faded into air, swirling in a small sandstorm before returning to it's original shape. Zoro blinked in amazement before frowning.

"Sand can be defeated. Everything can." he said and leapt forward, swinging his swords wildly.

---

Nami screamed as the bushy haired woman threw her sprawling to the floor and then pressed a gun to the side of her neck. Blood was running down her cheek and Nami didn't like the feel of it at all. The cut it was running from was high up, just underneath her hairline and for a brief moment, she knew it was going to make brushing her hair hell for the next few weeks. Now, the only thought crossing her mind was, how was she going to get out of this?

The answer came in the form of a black booted foot that swept out and kicked the bushy haired woman off of her. Nami blinked as the woman rolled on the floor near her, groaning slightly. Sanji hadn't used full force, but he had successfully removed the woman from Nami and that's all that she wanted. Getting up quickly, she swayed a little and grabbed Sanji's shoulder for support.

"Are you okay Nami-san?" he asked softly, watching the battle around him cautiously. Tashigi was holding her own well, as the man with the exploding powers kept dodging. Every now and again Tashigi would knock him back with her shoulder, but then her glasses would go askew and she would have to fix them.

This gave the woman with the umbrella (who had recovered and rejoined her partner) the opportunity to kick Tashigi back and onto the floor and then attempt to jump onto her and drive her knee into the other girl's chest. Tashigi always managed to get out of the way in time, and Sanji was a little surprised to say the least. She was good, almost as good as Zoro, but Sanji knew Zoro would never let Tashigi rival him. Nami sighed softly.

"This isn't going well." She muttered. Sanji looked down at her as Usopp yelled, having been moved to fight Mr 2. He flew through the air and hit the wall and groaned, sliding down it. There was a cackle of laughter and Sanji grimaced.

"Are you going to be okay Nami-san?" he asked quickly. Nami nodded and glared down at the bushy haired woman who hadn't gotten up yet.

---

Usopp winced as the pink tutu man drew closer and he put his hands over his head, trying to block out the next bout of pain that was sure to follow. But instead, he felt a shadow fall over him and tentatively he looked up to see a black clothed skinny body, and a blonde head.

"S-sanji?" he asked and the man craned his neck to look at Usopp over his shoulder, a cigarette newly lit in his mouth.

"Great goin' there Usopp. Now, let me handle it." he said and smirked. Usopp sighed and let the darkness swirling in his head, take over. Finally… some sleep. Sanji heard the heavy sigh and turned back to Mr 2 with a frown.

"Oh, I'm back to you am I?" and he laughed. Sanji gave a humourless chuckle before leaping forward and spinning on his heel, slamming his other foot into tutu's head. There was a horrible crunch and then Mr 2 went spiralling out through the doorway that they had burst in before. There was multiple thumps, and grunts, and then a resounding crash which indicated to Sanji, that his job there was finished.

He looked around and barely had the chance to gasp before he was thrown back into the wall by a heavy black fist. His head collided with something solid and he struggled to keep his eyes open, but they just wouldn't stay there and he passed out. The brown man, Mr 1, smirked a little before turning back to the situation behind him. Nami had joined in with Tashigi, and was attempting to throttle number 5 with her clima-tact.

Mr 1 didn't really care about that, so he continued searching. There was that green haired man trying fruitlessly to hit his boss… heh, like those swords would hurt him. And then there was that fire guy, sitting beside the wall and cradling the boy that was supposed to be their key. He would do. Mr 1 began making his way over to the fire guy, and frowned and crossed his arms when he looked up.

"What do you want?" Ace asked, looking up at the brown and burly man.

"A good fight." Mr 1 replied. Ace smirked and then looked down at his little brother before looking over at Robin, who was watching the fight in half interest, half shock.

"Robin?" he called and she turned to him. He nodded down at Luffy, and Robin's brows furrowed before she moved over to them.

"Be careful." Robin cautioned softly as she took Luffy from Ace. The pyro smirked.

"Always am." and then he faced off with number 1.

---

Zoro stopped, leaning a hand against the wall and panting heavily. He couldn't keep this up, he couldn't even touch Crocodile, and whenever he tried to get past him, he was always there! Blocking that damned machine. Zoro couldn't get near it! He glanced around and saw Sanji and Usopp were both out of action and lying together by a wall. Sanji was bleeding heavily from a cut over his eye that was hidden underneath his blonde, but now, red hair.

Usopp just looked dead tired, his chest moving in a shallow pattern. Chopper was still lying by the wall, and his chest was barely moving at all. He needed to get rid of that machine! Now! His inattention was by far the worst thing for him right now, and next thing he found he was lying on the floor with a boot on his face and crushing down on his cheek bone. It was hurting damnit, and the sword that was held within his teeth, was getting dangerously close to his own ear.

"Does that hurt Roronoa?" Crocodile asked, smirking. Zoro let out an unwilling grunt as Crocodile jerked his foot down, and something crunched within his face. He closed his eyes tightly.

"Blocking it out won't help you know. It's still going to hurt." Crocodile commented, but Zoro wasn't listening. Instead, he focused on his legs, and how Crocodile was paying no attention to them. Now… how did Sanji do that again? He thought for a moment, watching Sanji's weird flick of his feet and the twist of his hips that allowed him to bring his legs up and wrap one of them around the person's leg, while using the other to kick straight up into an opponent's groin.

Zoro opened his eyes as the information filtered into his mind and he managed a painful smirk before flicking his leg up and wrapping it around Crocodile's. Mr Zero hadn't seen it coming, and therefore made no move to get away. His mistake. Zoro brought his other knee to his chest, and with a painful twist of his neck so he could aim better, he slammed his heel straight up.

Alarm bells went ringing through Crocodile's head and he backed off, bending over and grabbing at his crotch while Zoro got to his feet. Something in his jaw was broken and it was extraordinarily painful to hold the sword in his teeth anymore… but he did anyway. While Crocodile was recovering, he limped past. Apparently, during that little stunt, he had twisted his knee the wrong way and now, despite Zoro's high tolerance of pain, it just didn't want to move.

"Yes." Robin whispered anxiously from her place by the wall. Luffy stirred in her arms and opened his eyes, looking over as Crocodile backed away from Zoro, and the swordsman got to his feet and limped towards the weird machine.

"Get it…" he muttered weakly, watching as Zoro hurried over to it. Indeed the swordsman was moving as fast as he could, and he stumbled more than once, but he got up onto the platform and stared down at the machine. Robin blinked and narrowed her eyes. What was he doing?

"Get off the platform." she whispered, "It'll explode." But Zoro had no idea what was about to happen.

"Get off." Luffy repeated. Zoro raised the white handled blade high above his head before plunging it downwards.

"Get off Zoro!" Robin screamed but it was too late. An explosion ripped through the room. Nami and Tashigi were thrown off their tired feet while Ace and the brown man were caught in it. Number five and his partner decided that their boss was dead, and therefore fled, racing down the stairs and out into the city, running away from the whole place.

The explosion made Robin cover her ears, and Luffy wince and weakly cover his own while closing his eyes. And then the silence fell, small fires crackling in places and Ace standing in the middle of it all, his fire still rippling across his shoulders. He nodded once.

"It's good to be me." he muttered to himself before looking around anxiously. Crocodile was lying across the room, twitching on his back and starting to get up again. Zoro was nowhere to be found. Sanji and Usopp had minor burns to their faces and arms, but they were still alright, and still out cold. Nami and Tashigi had taken shelter behind the same machine Usopp had been hiding behind, and they were unharmed.

As soon as the explosion was gone though, Nami raced to Sanji's side and looked him over. Tashigi followed and checked Usopp and the two confirmed that the boys were okay. Ace then looked around anxiously for his little brother and Robin and found them both curled into each other across the room. Robin's arms were around Luffy, who had his arms curled around her and then Luffy's eyes snapped open. Slowly, Luffy let go of Robin and her arms fell away as she slumped to the side.

"Robin…" Luffy whispered, panicking for a moment before realizing she had been knocked out. He looked around and then down at his own body before a large grin came to his face. It had been done. His powers were back! Leaping to his feet, Luffy flexed his arms and twisted them back and forth while Ace watched in relief. Luffy had had him worried for a moment there. Finally is younger brother's eyes came to rest on him, and Ace smirked and put a hand on his hip.

"How's it goin' little bro?" he asked and laughed as Luffy grinned back and gave him a thumbs up.

"Fantastic!" Luffy replied and laughed before his eyes narrowed on Crocodile, who had just gotten back to his feet. Ace turned and saw Crocodile and frowned.

"I'll handle him Luffy." Ace said. Luffy shook his head and strode forward.

"No. He's mine." and Luffy paused beside Ace and bowed his head a little, "Find Zoro for me. Please." and he looked up at Ace again. Ace's eyebrows furrowed before he nodded. He would do what he could.

"Nami, Tashigi!" Ace called and the two girls' heads popped up from where they were tending to Sanji and Usopp. Tashigi's glasses were askew again, but she made no move to correct them. Ace smiled.

"Would you care to give me a hand?" he asked politely. Nami and Tashigi glanced at their patients, then at Crocodile and then hurried over, skirting the man and practically bowling Ace over as they ran past him. Ace laughed and turned to begin their search. Luffy watched them go and then turned to Crocodile, who was growling at the loss of his extra powers. He hadn't even had a chance to use them!

Still… if he could get this kid beaten and then lock him up for the next five months or so, he would be able to build another machine and then everything would be perfect again. But then… Luffy was standing across from him, face determined and teeth clenched. Crocodile had a feeling that this kid possibly wouldn't give up until he was dead. That was fine then… they would have to find someone else. He'd waited before, and he would wait again.

"Crocodile…" Luffy growled, his eyes shadowed and his teeth clenched. His arms were held out on either side and he looked positively dangerous and for one of the first times in Crocodile's life, he felt true fear. This kid may actually be able to defeat him!

No… noone could defeat him! Never! Luffy drove forward, and the punch he threw was that quick that Crocodile didn't even see it coming. He was skidding along the floor on his back by the time he even realized that Luffy had hit him. And the boy was over him and gripping the front of his shirt, glaring into his face.

"If Zoro is dead, I'll make sure you die as well." Luffy growled in a low, and frightening voice. Crocodile regained his confidence and merely turned to sand around Luffy's hands. He reappeared behind Luffy and the boy twisted instantly, eyes focused on his enemy intensely.

"Boy, no one could survive an explosion like that. He's dead. Get on with your life." Crocodile snarled and Luffy's features twitched, and his hands clenched so hard that his knuckles were white and shaking. Hair shadowed his eyes before his head snapped up and his eyes were pure white. Crocodile had to step back, the power radiating from the boy was so frightening, and so hot that he almost wanted to run. But he stood his ground.

"Zoro is not dead…" Luffy whispered. And then the most unexpected thing happened. Crocodile was thrown straight at Luffy, who stepped to the side and slammed his foot into Crocodile's back, sending him into the floor. Looking up, Luffy saw Chopper standing there, teeth gritted and head still poised in the position where he had head butted Croc in the back.

"Go Luffy." Chopper said. Luffy grinned at the little reindeer. That had been perfect. Crocodile had turned over at Luffy's feet, and the former rookie of Pearl wasn't going to let him leave that quickly. He brought a fist straight down at Crocodile, slamming it into the man's ribs. A crack resounded and Luffy winced only slightly as he felt ribs break under his punch. Crocodile groaned loudly, and rolled over in pain, grabbing at his chest and trying to breathe.

It was then that Luffy saw Ace out of the corner of his eye, and the ripped Haramaki and bandana in Nami's hands. Ace had pulled Zoro out of a pile or wreckage… and the swordsman was as limp as death itself. Luffy's heart jumped into his throat, and he began making his way towards Ace and Zoro. His feet carried him quicker each time. Ace laid Zoro down and listened at his chest, hoping to hear something. Luffy was about to reach him when something made him stop… He couldn't move.

Pain flooded through him and his eyes went as wide as Nami's, Tashigi's and Ace's. Looking down, he saw a large piece of thin metal had shredded straight through his shoulder. Crocodile's hand was still raised and Luffy turned to look at him. He wanted to see if Zoro was okay, but he should have never taken his eyes off of an enemy as he had done. Worst mistake he had made.

"Gotcha brat." Crocodile gasped as he got up, wincing at the soreness in his side. Luffy shook his head, a smile coming to his lips.

"Not by a long shot." he replied and then walked back over, pain making it hard for his eyes to stay open. Crocodile was having a similar problem, but at least he could stand. Spitting out blood, Crocodile tried to become sand, but found that he couldn't move his molecules.

At all.

It was there, but something was stopping him from accessing that power. Luffy made it to him, and gripped his shirt, dragging him towards the now open edge of the tower.

"Down you go…" Luffy gritted and then smirked as he held Crocodile's body out over the edge. His arm clenched as Croc's fingers bit into it.

"You wouldn't dare." he spat. Luffy raised an eyebrow and his eyes drooped lazily, fatigue from blood loss beginning to take over his body.

"Oh wouldn't I?" Luffy asked and then chuckled humourlessly, his eyes misting a little, "You killed my best friend. It's your fault." and Luffy laughed again as his eyes drooped further, and the world before him became blurry. His hand let go, and Luffy heard a sharp grunt, and then felt a hand grasping his leg. Looking down through the haze, he noticed Crocodile had a hold of the edge of the tower with one hand, while the other was wrapped firmly around his leg.

Luffy shook it a little, but he was tired again. So tired. Everything was crashing down on him. Pain, tiredness, sadness. It was taking the life from his veins and letting it flow through the wound in his shoulder. Raising his other foot, Luffy slammed it down on Crocodile's hand, and the man grunted in pain. It would have been so easy if he could have morphed into sand, but, his body just was so unwilling!

"Just let go." Luffy said, grinding his heel into the man's foot. Crocodile did, and he fell with a loud yell.

---

"Luffy!" Nami screamed and Ace jumped from where he was listening to Zoro's faint heartbeat. Looking around, Ace couldn't see his brother anywhere. The room was silent. Chopper was staggering over to them, and he dropped to his knees by Zoro as Ace stood and looked around.

"Luffy?" he muttered and he began to panic just a little, "Luffy!? Nami!" and he turned on the red head, who had both hands over her mouth and was sobbing into them.

"He… he… fell." She managed finally. Ace's heart stopped.

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**Three things. Sorry it was short. Sorry if it seemed rushed. Sorry about the cliffhanger. -wink- I'm good at them, aren't I? I really gotta stop doing it though. I think people are going to end up attempting to kill me. -heh- too late. -gets hit by a random potato- -turns eyes in a certain direction- I know who threw that, and she better start running right now. **


	23. I know

**It's the ending! Zomg! -grabs it and hugs it- Time for some sap! -throws sap at everyone-**

**A battle bond (I don't know really what it's called or referred to) but, I am getting at the fact that it's a bond that develops between two people when they fight side by side, and live through something together. You know? It's weird, I know, but yeah...**

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_**Chapter 23: I know**_

Ace's heart stopped… and then began beating again when he heard a weak groan. A hand was slowly creeping over the ledge. Black hair was being ruffled by a soft breeze as Luffy's head peeked up slowly over the edge. His eyes were drooping wearily and he spotted Ace.

"Hey… help?" Luffy asked. Ace ran over and skidded down onto the ground on his knees, grabbing Luffy's arms and hauling him upwards again. Luffy groaned as he rolled onto the hard surface again. Ace took one look at his heavily panting brother, and then grabbed him in a hug that made Luffy wince in pain.

"Ow… come on Ace." Luffy murmured into his shoulder but made no move to get his brother to release him. Finally Ace did so, and looked Luffy up and down. He was dirty, he looked as though he was in a lot of pain, and he looked ready for a nice long sleep. Ace was about to say something when he was shoved to the side and Nami latched onto him, hugging him twice as tightly as what Ace had.

"Luffy! You're alright! I thought you were dead!" she cried into his shoulder. Luffy rolled his eyes a little but patted her on the back.

"I'm fine Nami." he said. Nami sat back from him and wiped the tears from her eyes, smudging the grime that had settled on her face. Luffy looked up at Ace.

"Zoro…?" he asked. Ace smiled at Luffy and put a hand on his shoulder.

"He's alive." he said. Luffy's eyes, which had trailed to the ground, slowly inched their way up to meet Ace's.

"R-really?" and Ace nodded. Luffy's lips spread in a gigantic grin and he stumbled to his feet, Ace and Nami supporting him as he stood. Dropping to his knees, Luffy bent over to listen to Zoro's heart and he smiled when he heard it faintly. Chopper was hovering around him, checking certain places and making sure everything was okay. Grinning, Luffy grabbed onto the reindeer and hugged him.

"Thanks Chopper. You were great!" he said. The little reindeer blushed.

"Shut uuuup, I only head butted him!" and the reindeer pulled away, refraining from wiggling as it caused pain. His body had it's power back, but, it hurt to have it taken, and it hurt to have it put back, so he was one sore little reindeer.

"Hey, where's Usopp and Sanji?" Luffy asked, looking around. Nami's face became sad again as she looked towards the doorway, and the corner where Sanji and Usopp were still unconscious. Luffy blinked in the same direction and then his face became stricken.

"Are they dead!?" he panicked. Nami shook her head vigorously.

"No, we thought they were, but they're not!" she replied. Luffy let out a heavy sigh.

"Good."

"Actually, we should take a look at them." Ace said, still watching his little brother carefully. Chopper nodded and trotted off, quickly followed by Nami and Tashigi. The two girls were unwilling to be separated for the moment, as they had fought side by side, and lived side by side, and had developed a battle bond. It would wear off soon, but for now they just wanted to be by each other's side. Luffy was left with Zoro, and the boy sighed heavily, leaning over Zoro's still inert body to grab his Haramaki and lay it across the older man's chest.

"Awesome fight Zoro." he muttered as he did so, "Thanks for saving me." There was a light cough.

"You're welcome." Zoro coughed again and opened his eyes. Luffy blinked in amazement before a large smile spread across his face, and his eyes began to sting. He wiped a dirty hand over them in an aggravated way before looking down at Zoro.

"You okay?" Luffy asked. Zoro coughed again as he laughed.

"Been better." and he began to sit up. Luffy put a hand on his chest and stopped him.

"Don't. You'll only hurt more." Luffy cautioned. Zoro smirked.

"Either that, or you just want to keep me on my back." he replied cheekily before stopping suddenly and blushing as he turned his face away. Luffy blinked, a light blush coming to his cheeks as well. A silence rang between them until Zoro cleared his throat.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked. Luffy, who had gone deep within his thoughts, started and looked around.

"Yeah. I think so." he replied before hissing in pain as he twisted.

"Your shoulder." Zoro said, knocking Luffy's hand away as he sat up. Luffy blinked as he looked down at his own wound. The metal was still embedded there, but Luffy had a feeling if it was pulled out here, he was going to bleed… a lot. Zoro had already thought that far ahead though. He was used to dealing with those sorts of wounds. Grabbing his Haramaki, he ripped it into strips and then put them down as he turned to Luffy's shoulder.

"Here." A soft voice said and Luffy turned to see Robin sitting on his other side. He hadn't even noticed her come over to him. Zoro apparently hadn't either, as he jumped and hissed in pain. Robin smiled a little and then placed both arms on Luffy's shoulders, holding him steady. She looked towards Zoro, but he frowned.

"I can't…" he muttered, "I'm too weak." Luffy blinked. He hoped they weren't talking about what he thought they were talking about. Robin nodded and then a free hand blossomed on Luffy's arm and reached around to the piece of metal.

"Stay still." Zoro warned. Luffy looked at him, and Zoro was shocked to see the fear in the boy's eyes.

"It can't stay in there. It'll get infected." Robin said. Luffy hissed as the hand touched the metal and Zoro frowned.

"Here." and he grabbed each one of Luffy's hands in one of his own, and held tight, "Take it easy."

---

Ace looked up when he heard the sharp, and gritted out yell from across the room. He peered around the corner and saw Zoro quickly wrapping green material around Luffy's injured shoulder, while the boy was hissing in pain and gasping heavily. He then spotted the piece of metal lying a few feet away, blood still shining on it's surface. Wincing, he looked back to where Usopp was waking up, and Nami was still trying to get Sanji to come to.

"Sanji, please." Nami said, tugging at his hand. She was worried about that cut, and was worried that the blonde chef had possibly slipped into a coma.

"What happened?" Usopp groaned. Tashigi sighed and grimaced at him.

"You got knocked out." she explained. Usopp blinked at her and then looked around.

"Oh…" and then he looked up at Ace, "Are we dead?"

"No." Ace replied, chuckling. Usopp blinked at him and then smiled.

"Oh. Cool. Is Luffy okay?" and he sat up a little straighter and then looked over at Sanji and his smile fell, "Sanji…" Nami looked up at Usopp, before turning back to Sanji again.

"He's alive. Just won't wake up." Tashigi explained. Usopp nodded.

"He stopped that tutu guy from killing me." he muttered. Sanji gasped and sat up, breathing heavily and clenching his eyes shut again. He heaved in lung fulls of air as he gripped his head with his free hand.

"Sanji!" Nami cried happily and latched onto his chest, hugging him tightly. Usopp, Tashigi and Ace blinked. Was Nami…? Sanji blinked down at her before raising a hand and placing it on her head, not really sure what to make of the situation. Too exhausted to go into lovey dovey mode, Sanji just let Nami hug him while he gasped in air.

"I thought you were dead." Nami said, her voice muffled by Sanji's chest. Sanji smiled a little.

"Wouldn't leave you Nami-san." he replied. Usopp rolled his eyes slightly and smirked at Tashigi and Ace. Then the groups eyes nearly bulged out when Nami latched onto Sanji and kissed him. Now, a hug was cause for noodling, and 'mellorine'-ing, but, a kiss… well… Sanji wriggled and Nami pulled back to see Sanji's eyes had become permanent hearts, and he seemed to be in a sort of trance where his lips were constantly in a puckered position. Nami blushed a little and glared at Ace, Usopp and Tashigi.

"Repeat what I did, and you three will be broke for the rest of your lives." she hissed. All three held up their hands in a defensive position and shook their heads.

It didn't take them long to get back through the city, as they had found the dead figure of Mr Zero lying on the pavement and panic had ensued. Slaves escaped, people ran generally wild. Robin was supporting Luffy, whose hand was still in Zoro's. The swordsman was being supported by Ace, while Nami was helping Sanji along. Usopp claimed he was okay, but Chopper insisted on having the boy be supported as he could damage his legs, or collapse halfway back to the ship.

So Tashigi had taken over the task. Chopper was trotting along behind them, and he managed to bear the heat this time. The ship loomed on the horizon, and the group was thrilled that they would be going home soon. Once they got back on, the driver reported that Smoker had rang, and told them that the war had ended abruptly. The enemy had run for it, bolting in groups of threes or fours and disappearing out of the town.

They were gone. The group was relieved to hear this news, and they all had let out twin sighs upon hearing the news. Ace, Robin and Usopp made for the helm to help while Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami and Chopper made use of the small medical room that was below deck. Once Chopper had made sure they were all okay, he went to have a sleep in another room. No one had disagreed, as the little reindeer looked dead on his feet.

Zoro and Luffy were in one corner of the room, while Nami and Sanji were in another. Nami was sitting beside Sanji's bed and wasn't prepared to leave just yet. Zoro rolled his head on the soft pillow and looked over at Luffy, who looked as though he was asleep, but he was betrayed when he opened his eyes to a slit and watched him.

"What?" Luffy muttered, moving on the bed a little so he could see Zoro better. Robin peeked in just as Zoro was about to speak.

"Rookie-san?" she asked and smiled as she walked in, arms clasped behind her back. Luffy blinked up at her.

"Robin. Are you okay?" He inquired, a little worried. Zoro watched her carefully and Robin sighed.

"I came to… apologize. I'm sorry Zoro, Luffy," and she turned, "Sanji, Nami." and she bowed her head, "I shouldn't have done what was asked of me. Once again, I am sorry."

"It's okay Robin! You were there for me, so that's okay!" Luffy said brightly, grinning from ear to ear. Robin smiled.

"Thankyou rookie-san." she replied before bringing out a straw hat, "It's a little battered, but, I believe this is yours." and she held it out to him. Luffy gazed at it, his eyes wide.

"I thought it got…" and he trailed off before reaching out a hand and taking it, "Thanks Robin!" and he grinned widely before pressing the hat onto his chest. Robin smiled back at him.

"You're very welcome Luffy." and she walked out. Zoro smiled after her and shook his head. She really could amaze you. But still… he was going to be keeping a sharper eye on her from now on. Zoro reached out and took Luffy's hand in his own. Luffy looked over at him and Zoro twitched a little before smiling. He was sure. Very sure now.

"You ah…" and he blushed a little before meeting Luffy's eye, "wanna give it a go?" Luffy blinked at him, not comprehending what the hell Zoro was talking about at first before finally, it dawned on him and he smiled and nodded his head vigorously.

"Yeah yeah!" he replied and Zoro had to laugh. Nami and Sanji were watching them from the other side of the room, and they smiled at each other.

"This is gonna make perfect blackmail." Nami muttered and Sanji snorted.

---

**Two months later**

**---**

"Who is he?" Minami whispered to her friend as they stood on the corner.

"I don't know… but isn't he the hottest thing you've ever seen?" Ria whispered back, holding a hand to her mouth and giggling.

"Yeah. And his hair, it's so unique!"

"Yeah. Ohhh… maybe we should go and talk to him?"

"You think? Would he talk back do you think?"

"Well, he kinda looks like the dark brooding type… and they're always fun!"

"Okay!" and the girls were about to set off towards their target when,

"ZORO!" echoed through the school yard and the very man the girls were whispering about, turned and smiled as a black haired boy ran towards him. The girls then blinked… and blushed as the dark haired boy jumped onto Zoro and kissed him. Minami turned to Ria, her eyes slanted.

"Figures." they said and turned away, walking down the street and cursing the fact that hot guys were always gay.

---

As Zoro turned their new car into the road and pressed the accelerator, Luffy sighed deeply, plucking at his uniform shirt.

"Zoro, are you sure it was a good idea to quit like we did?" he asked softly. Zoro blinked and then shrugged.

"I don't know. But… it must be a trend because Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Chopper and Robin all quit as well." and he smiled. Luffy blinked.

"Really!? Wow!" and he grinned at the houses rushing past on either side. Zoro smirked. They had had to quit. The government had turned on them as soon as it had found out about Crocodile's deception, and it had been blaming Zoro for the whole thing. The government had also been trying to get all of the Pearl members placed in jail, but, Smoker (who apparently had connections and what not) had discreetly put in a word of warning, and the jail threats had disappeared almost immediately.

Zoro had then put in a request to resign, and Luffy had followed instantly. Being a secret agent was fun, but, after his little experience, it had become a little too scary, even for Luffy. The government (once again with a warning from Smoker) had allowed this to happen, something they wouldn't usually do. Smoker was an asshole, but, he was good at helping them when they needed it.

Unknown to the members of Pearl or even any other organization, there was a special account that each member had for their duration as an agent. If they died before retirement (which most had in the past) then the money was passed down to the next person that took their place. So, the person who had been in charge before Zoro's money, had been passed to him.

And now Zoro was basically a millionaire, as all the others who had been in charge before Zoro's predecessor, had died before retirement as well, and the money had built up. Luffy had been given about half the amount of Zoro's money, from his own account. And now the others had quit too! They were all going to be rich! Luffy grinned happily to himself. They would be able to spend time together again! He missed them so much. Zoro glanced over as he twiddled the steering wheel, and a concerned look crossed his face.

"You okay?" he asked. Luffy snapped his head around and grinned.

"Yeah. Just thinkin'." he replied. Zoro smirked and reached out a hand to ruffle Luffy's black hair roughly.

"Don't think too hard, you might hurt yourself." he laughed. Luffy blinked for a minute before pouting angrily.

"Hey!" he whined. Zoro smirked as Luffy grabbed his hand and flicked it back at Zoro again.

"So, you're okay with going back to school?" Zoro asked after a short silence. Luffy shrugged and nodded.

"I've only got half a year left, and Ace wanted me to finish so…" and he trailed off. Zoro nodded.

"Good thing they let you back in after you disappeared though." he muttered as he pulled up at some street lights. Luffy nodded.

"Yeah. But now at least I don't have to worry about always being alone." and he grinned at Zoro, who smiled back.

"Right. No more being alone."

**End**

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**Well, that's that. It's all over. Finally... -drops dead- NOW! **

**!!THANKYOU!! **

**To everyone who reviewed this story! This is the ending, but there are secret chapters coming, so, there will be more soon! Hopefully... an alternate ending, and something else. -nods-**


	24. Alone Alternate Ending

**Sorry this took so long! I don't know what you guys'll think of this ending, whether it's too cliche, or too sentimental. I don't know. But I'm sure as hell glad I didn't end the actual story like this. **

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_**Alone Alternate Ending : Follows on from when Luffy fell off the edge of the building.**_

Ace's heart stopped… and then began beating again when he heard a weak groan. A hand was slowly creeping over the ledge. Black hair was being ruffled by a soft breeze as Luffy's head peeked up slowly over the edge. His eyes were drooping wearily and he spotted Ace.

"Hey… help?" Luffy asked. Ace ran over and skidded down onto the ground on his knees, grabbing Luffy's arms and hauling him upwards again. Luffy groaned as he rolled onto the hard surface again. Ace took one look at his heavily panting brother, and then grabbed him in a hug that made Luffy wince in pain.

"Ow… come on Ace." Luffy murmured into his shoulder but made no move to get his brother to release him. Finally Ace did so, and looked Luffy up and down. He was dirty, he looked as though he was in a lot of pain, and he looked ready for a nice long sleep. Ace was about to say something when he was shoved to the side and Nami latched onto him, hugging him twice as tightly as what Ace had.

"Luffy! You're alright! I thought you were dead!" she cried into his shoulder. Luffy rolled his eyes a little but patted her on the back.

"I'm fine Nami." he said. Nami sat back from him and wiped the tears from her eyes, smudging the grime that had settled on her face. Luffy looked up at Ace.

"Zoro…?" he asked. Ace didn't smile… didn't nod, didn't do anything other than move back to Zoro and bow his head over the man before him. Luffy felt his heart drop into his stomach. If Zoro was dead… Slowly, he moved over to where Ace was sitting with the leader of Pearl.

"I… don't know Luffy, he's weak, very weak." Ace replied, "I… don't think he's going to live." Luffy shook his head softly and frowned.

"No, he'll live. He always has, he always will! He'll be the first leader of an organization to live and retire normally!" Luffy growled, practically storming over and dropping to his knees beside Zoro. With a sharp jerk, he pulled the older man away from his brother and laid him in his own lap.

"Wake. Up." Luffy demanded and Ace bit his lip a little before looking up at Nami, who had very overbright eyes.

"Luffy-" Robin began from nearby, but Luffy shook his head wildly.

"Shut up! I don't wanna hear it! He's going to live!" he growled once again, "Wake up Zoro! You can't give up!" Zoro was still, and silent, the colour drained from his face. Blood spatters covered his body and he was dirty and smudged. It was a horrible sight really. Ace moved to listen at Zoro's chest, to see if he was alive… but Luffy jerked the man away from him.

"He's alive, you don't need to check…" He said softly, "I can feel his pulse…"

"Zoro…" Nami and Chopper whispered together, bowing their heads in respect. Ace copied them before frowning a little.

"If he's going to be saved, we're going to have to get him back to the ship so we can treat him." he said quietly and Luffy looked up a little, his eyes overbright, but not so bad that he was crying… yet. Chopper shook his head though.

"If he's moved, he could die anyway. What if he has broken bones around his heart, or a ruptured spleen or something like that? He'll die if they're jostled too much!" the reindeer protested, raising a hoof to his aching head. Nami put a hand over her mouth and turned away, heading over to where Sanji and Usopp were still unconscious by the door. As much as Zoro was a bastard, as much as he was rude and lazy, he was a good leader to Pearl… and if he died…

"Then go and get something for HIM!" Luffy barked, his eyes dark and Chopper fell backwards a step, blinking with large eyes.

"I can barely walk, Luffy…" he replied in a soft tone and Luffy growled slightly before letting out a loud sigh.

"Right… I know… Can you do anything, Ace?"

"Maybe… I'll do my best." his brother responded and then ran to the opening in the side of the building. Jumping out, he flamed up and leapt to a nearby building on the wind, much as flames did. Bouncing from steel rooftop to rooftop, he moved as fast as he could to try and get to the ship.

"Wake up, Zoro…" Luffy said softly, "Come on… You're the first friend I ever really had… I don't wanna be alone anymore, I like having friends!" But Zoro didn't respond, his lips getting paler with every passing second. Basically… he was dying. There was a soft groan and Luffy looked up to see Sanji stand, and put a hand to his aching head.

"Where the fuck…?" the man noised before looking over and seeing Luffy, "Ah, Marimo got himself in shit again eh?" Nami sobbed a little and turned her face away, a hand over her mouth. Sanji was confused and he staggered his way over to Luffy, dropping to his knees beside them and peering at Zoro's face. His eyes widened slightly.

"He's not…?" he asked, but Luffy didn't reply. He was hanging onto the hope that Zoro would fight to grab at that last string of life within him, that last little bit, just so he could survive until Ace got back with stuff that could help him. Sanji leaned forward a little further over Zoro's face, peering down at him with wide eyes.

"He's… dead…" Sanji whispered before groaning a little and pulling away, raising a hand to his forehead and gritting his teeth, "Fuck!" And this time… Luffy knew it was true. He couldn't feel the soft thump of Zoro's pulse in his wrist anymore… or hear any breathing. His chest was no longer moving and his hands were still. Slowly, he was getting cold and Luffy's face became hard, and emotionless. A mask. He wasn't going to cry, not here, not now.

Nami had retreated to sobbing against a wall, one hand curled into a fist as she pressed against it. Chopper had turned his face away, and limped to the edge of the building, staring out and over the edge. Robin was as silent as ever, but she was shaking very, very faintly. Sanji was breathing in deep gasps, trying to stop himself from crying, or screaming out in rage. He was sore, tired, and their leader had just died on them. Fan-fucking-tastic! Silently, Luffy drew Zoro closer to him and hugged him softly.

"M'sorry Zoro… this shouldn't have happened to you… And... thankyou." he whispered, his voice dead. By the time Ace returned, Usopp had re-awoken and had grit his teeth at Zoro's death, swearing to tell a fantastic story about their leader… Sanji was mentally beating himself for all the names he had called Zoro during their time living together in Pearl, Nami had snuck over to sit beside him and Robin was beside Luffy as the boy just stared at Zoro's lifeless form.

---

A week or so had passed since Zoro's death, and the government had deemed it necessary that someone be picked to be the new leader of Pearl. Sanji had even yelled at them over the phone to give them another week to at least get over their loss, but the government was cold and cruel as ever. So, because of Luffy's prowess in fighting, and his defeat of Crocodile, the group had nominated him. He hadn't wanted it… Attempted to walk away from the entire group even, but that had been before the will had been found in the mail. There was a letter from Zoro, basically saying in his blunt manner, that when he died, Luffy was to take over.

It also stated that he had originally intended putting Robin in charge, but then Luffy had come along and he had changed it. An individual note was written out for Luffy, outlining what he had to do, and that he had to keep everything in that note private from the rest of the group. It had also said that Luffy was the first person to just like him for him, and not think that he was anything other than a friend, or a leader. He had liked that. And he had liked Luffy, a lot. The rest of that day, Luffy had locked himself in his room, lying on his bed and idly ripping bits of random paper into shreds.

He was pretty sure he had loved Zoro, but the opportunity to tell him had just never presented itself, and he hadn't been sure if Zoro had felt the same way. But still… he couldn't cry. There was the pain in his throat, the watering in his eyes, but no tears would come free… It wasn't until Zoro's funeral that he finally did cry… and he had waited until everyone else was gone before doing so. He was alone, leaning against the tree that shadowed the grave… and he was crying. Gasping even. He just couldn't breathe through his own tears and he had stayed there until the sun had well and truly set and Nami came out to find him. When she had found him, he was sitting at the base of the tree, knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his head as he pressed it against his legs.

"Hey…" she said softly, moving to lean against the tree over him, "How are you?" That was a stupid question… Luffy raised his head slightly, a small smile on his face.

"All flowers and roses…" he replied, repeating a quote that Zoro had often used when he wasn't feeling okay at all. Wiping a hand over his face to get rid of the last of the tears, he sniffed and sighed as Nami watched him.

"You know, if it helps… you can talk to me about it…" She said softly, crouching down beside him. Luffy shook his head.

"No… I'm okay… After all, I can always come here and talk to him… even if he doesn't respond now…" and Luffy gulped a little, forcing back the tears that he'd been holding in for the past week or so. Now that he had begun crying, he didn't seem to be able to stop the tears anymore. Nami smiled a little.

"Yeah, Zoro was actually a pretty good guy to talk to… not that I did very often…" and she sighed again, "I guess… I actually came here to say, that when I met Zoro, he was pretty sour and grumpy."

"What ended up being different?" and Luffy grinned a little and Nami snorted softly.

"And then you came along… He was happy, or at least, he was a bit more social with you than he was with the rest of us… and I thought that was nice." and she shrugged, "Doesn't sound like me to really care about this stuff, does it?"

"Not really… Thanks, Nami… I'm gonna just stay here for a little while longer, then I'll probably come home." and Luffy smiled a little at her. Nami nodded in reply and stood.

"Sanji also told me to tell you, that, if you don't come home before midnight, he's going to kick your ass from here to New York…" and she smiled as Luffy chuckled to himself.

"Thanks… tell him he couldn't if he tried…" he replied softly and Nami winked.

"Damn straight…" and she paused a second to look at the headstone on Zoro's grave, "See ya Zoro…" And with that, she moved out of the cemetery and down the road, following the lights on the sidewalk. Luffy looked after her for a while, then turned his attention to the grave again before he sighed softly.

"I guess I should go too… I'll miss ya, Zoro…" and Luffy stood and stuck his hands in his pockets, his old straw hat resting against his back and on a string around his neck. He paused for a moment and then smiled, "I'll tell Sanji he's a princess for you… and don't worry, I'll look after Pearl…" and with that he chuckled and then walked towards the gates of the cemetery, not looking back once.

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**Sorry it's kinda short, and for making you wait so long, but I really do like the real ending better than this one. I had the idea from the beginning of doing this, but, it's not my idea of an ending. I can't stand sad endings. I'll love a story, but if someone dies at the end... I won't read or watch the ending EVER again. Anyway, there's one more chapter to go on the end of this, but that one may take a lot longer. Hopefully I'll get it done soon though. -crosses fingers- Thanks again to everyone for reading! And thankyou SO much to everyone who found this story after it was finished, and STILL reviewed **_**every **_**chapter. That's truly an accomplishment! I'll get replies out VERY soon!! **


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